The Board of Investments (BOI) said the government aims to produce thousands of engineers and technicians for the country’s semiconductor and electronics industry in the next four years.
BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in collaboration with national government agencies and private sector partners, aims to employ 128,000 engineers and technicians in the sector by 2028.
“From micro-engineers to [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority] TESDA-certified technicians, licensed engineers to PhD and masters graduates, we will need their skills and capabilities to move the semiconductor and electronics industry forward,” Rodolfo said in a statement.
Rodolfo noted that in contrast to other nations, the Philippines has a young labor force with abilities and expertise acknowledged by global companies.
He further said that the government faces the task of harnessing the talent of these workers.
“There is a vibrant opportunity for you to work in the industry,” Rodolfo said, recognizing the critical role of skilled labor in boosting the country’s position as a strategic partner and regional hub for electronics manufacturing.
He said continued collaboration with other government agencies, such as the Department of Education (DepEd), TESDA, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), other NGAs, local government units (LGUs), and the academe, can make it possible.
According to Dan Lachica, President of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI), students must be informed of the country’s semiconductor industry opportunities to increase the workforce.
Earl Qua, Electronics Industries Association of the Philippines Inc., president, meanwhile, underscored the significance of a government-academe tie to enable students to become job-ready in the semiconductor and electronics industry.
“Magaling talaga ang mga Pilipino [Filipinos are really skillful], and the stronger partnership between the academe and the industry could only make them better,” Qua said.
The Philippine semiconductor and electronics industry remains the top contributor to Philippine total exports accounting for around 56.9 percent or $41.91 billion in 2023.
This sector is also the third largest contributor to the country’s manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA) accounting for 11 percent of the total manufacturing GVA for the same period.
Globally, the Philippines accounted for 2.7 percent of world IC exports and has been among the top 10 exporters for at least the last decade with a CAGR of 7.9 percent.