PBEd, Aussie government partner to improve Pinoys’ job skills

MANILA, Philippines — A business-led education advocacy group is partnering with the Australian government for efforts aimed at improving the learning and employability outcomes in the Philippines.

In a statement, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said the Australian government is reinforcing its commitment to Philippine education reform through a P98.7 million support.

The support, to be managed in partnership with PBEdm, aims to help improve the quality of education and develop the skills of future workers.

PBEd stressed that this is a crucial effort at a time when the number of jobless Filipinos has increased amidst rapid changes to technology and types of future jobs available for young people.

“Australia believes that quality education is key to a prosperous and productive nation. We have been a longstanding partner to the Philippines and strong supporter of its education reform goals. In this new phase of our partnership with PBEd, we will support the Philippines to achieve an education system that provides the skills and knowledge needed for future jobs,” Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu said.

To help address skills gaps and unemployment, the Australian government and PBEd will work on four focus areas – senior high school curriculum improvement, industry involvement in skills development, improving teacher quality, and enhancing education data collection and assessments.

“PBEd and the Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre, a joint venture between Australia’s University of Melbourne and the University of the Philippines, will work together to support the plans of the Department of Education (DepEd) on reviewing and revising the K to 12 curriculum,” the group said.

It said these reforms would be important for ensuring that graduates have adequate skills and are more employable.

Meanwhile, PBEd’s workforce development program supported by the Australian government will continue its existing efforts by establishing more Sector Skills Councils to undertake labor market studies. This will better align the skills of workers with the demands of industry.

“Nation-building starts with quality education. An integrated approach to education reforms, starting from elementary school, is crucial for a seamless and foundational building block for a productive future workforce,” PBEd executive director Justine Raagas said.

The Australian government and PBEd are collaborating to find concrete solutions towards improved learning and employability in the Philippines,” she said.