PCCI Pitches Ideas To DepEd On Upgrading Education System And Solving Skills Mismatch

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the largest business group in the country with over 30,000 members among small, medium, and large enterprises, local chambers, and industry associations, has submitted policy recommendations to the Department of Education (DepEd) aimed at upgrading the local education system and addressing the skills mismatch.

PCCI’s recommendations include enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and strengthening partnerships between schools and businesses to foster on-the-job training opportunities. I Photo: DepEd Davao City

The recommendations were formally submitted to DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara by a delegation led by Alberto Fenix Jr., President of the PCCI Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF).

The PCCI emphasized the need to improve the education system and align educational outcomes with industry demands to address the persistent skills mismatch that has been hampering the competitiveness of the Filipino workforce.

The group’s recommendations include enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and strengthening partnerships between schools and businesses to foster on-the-job training opportunities.

Both initiatives would significantly help equip graduates with the necessary and relevant skills for their future jobs.

The PCCI also recommended amending the Enhanced Education Act to harmonize it with higher education curricula, promoting a multi-sectoral approach in early childhood education, and developing micro-credentialing to certify skills acquired through various forms of learning.

"The PCCI and the PCCI Education Task Force (ETF) members are ready to discuss the ETF paper further with DepEd and work out possible executive and legislative actions," Fenix underscored.

Moreover, the PCCI highlighted the need to invest in teacher training and integrate digital learning platforms to keep pace with global education trends.

It urged the government to ensure adequate funding and infrastructure for these initiatives, particularly in underserved and rural areas, to promote equitable access to quality education.

These measures would help create a pipeline of talent that meets the evolving needs of industries and drives long-term economic growth for the Philippines, the PCCI stressed.