ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Align education with workforce demands: Advocacy group pushes for stronger agency collaboration

Align education with workforce demands: Advocacy group pushes for stronger agency collaboration

PBEd calls for improved inter-agency coordination to ensure the education system meets current and future labor market needs

Published May 8, 2025 12:18 pm

At A Glance

  • Advocacy group pushes for tighter agency ties to better integrate education with industry and workforce requirements.
Highlighting the need for a cohesive strategy to prepare students for high-demand careers, an advocacy group is calling for enhanced collaboration between government agencies to better align educational programs with evolving workforce needs.
PBEd urges stronger collaboration among government agencies to better align the education system with evolving workforce and industry demands. (DepEd / file photo) 
“We are at a turning point,” said Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) Executive Director Hanibal Camua. “By working together, we can transform our education system into one that truly empowers learners and meets the demands of a changing world,” he added.
The industry-driven advocacy group reiterated its appeal for continued cooperation among education agencies to align the nation's education system with the dynamic demands of the labor market.
This renewed call coincides with ongoing education reforms, including proposals to revamp the senior high school curriculum, heightened initiatives for inclusive education, and a drive for deeper inter-agency cooperation.
Long-term solutions
PBEd emphasized the importance of long-term structural reforms, including the potential integration of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
This move aims to enhance governance across post-secondary education and training, ensuring smoother transitions for learners from basic education to diverse academic and career pathways.
PBEd noted that these initiatives align closely with President Marcos’ workforce development agenda.
Sustaining initiatives
Camua said the Department of Education (DepEd), CHED, and TESDA “have taken bold steps in recent months to equip our students with practical, in-demand skills while fostering equity and inclusion across all levels.”
“With reforms underway, exploring a merger between CHED and TESDA is a timely and necessary initiative, as it presents an opportunity to future-proof our education system,” he added.
“We urge policymakers to seriously consider this reform to maximize resources, eliminate redundancies, and deliver better outcomes for Filipino learners.”
PBEd encouraged industry leaders, policymakers, and civil society groups to actively participate in ongoing public consultations on curriculum reform and workforce development strategies.
Their involvement, the group said, is vital in shaping an education system that effectively responds to the evolving labor market.
PBEd reaffirmed its commitment to working with government and education leaders to build a future-ready, globally competitive Filipino workforce.
Through strategic partnerships and policy engagement, the group seeks to drive meaningful reforms that align education with labor market needs.
Education-to-employment transition
PBEd stressed the urgency of establishing a seamless transition from education to employment, particularly as the country continues to produce a new wave of senior high school graduates each year.
The organization highlighted the importance of a cohesive framework that connects basic education, higher education, and skills training institutions. This integrated approach is crucial for maintaining a relevant, efficient, and inclusive education system.
DepEd and TESDA previously announced an enhanced partnership aimed at refining technical-vocational education and training programs within the senior high school curriculum.
PBEd said this collaboration seeks to improve accessibility, relevance, and efficiency in preparing students for diverse career pathways.
This effort involves strengthening the integration of work immersion and competency-based training, equipping students with the practical skills and experience necessary for immediate employment or further specialization in their chosen fields.
By integrating basic education with technical skills development, the two agencies aim to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and workforce preparedness, ensuring students graduate with the practical competencies needed for employment or advanced training.
“We believe the reforms being introduced are meaningful steps forward,” Camua said. “But their success will depend on long-term commitment, stakeholder engagement, and the courage to make difficult but necessary changes,” he added.


Related Tags

DepEd TESDA CHED PBEd workforce education
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.