The forum was hosted by Mandaue City College, the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).
The event aimed to address the rapid advancements in technology and the need for the local workforce to acquire new skills to remain competitive in the evolving job market.
Educators, business leaders, HR managers, and government officials from across Cebu attended the forum, with the goal of creating actionable plans for future workforce development.
Discussions focused on identifying skills gaps, developing strategies for upskilling and reskilling workers, and strengthening collaborations between educational institutions and businesses to ensure workforce readiness for Industry 4.0.
MCCI President Mark Ynoc emphasized the importance of aligning educational curricula with the skills demanded by modern industries. He also highlighted that having proper facilities and conducting student immersions in schools would help better prepare graduates.
Ynoc noted that some graduates do not possess the necessary skills or knowledge despite their degree programs.
“The lack of skills and abilities affects the productivity of newly hired employees and even the company,” said Ynoc.
“It helps if schools have proper facilities because, as we are seeing now, some schools do not. The end result is theoretical knowledge, and when these students enter the workforce, we’re surprised to find that some of them don’t know what they’re doing. This requires more supervision and training on our part and incurs additional costs,” Ynoc added.
Some of the topics discussed at the forum included artificial intelligence, digitalization, and other skills in demand across industries.
“Statistics show that 40 percent of the jobs we know today will be obsolete in 15 years. What are we, as a nation, as business organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions, doing to guide our youth toward that future?” Ynoc questioned.
For the pilot implementation in Mandaue City, around 50 students from the School of Business at Mandaue City College (MCC) will be selected to undergo special training through PBEd.
City Councilor Malcolm Sanchez, chairman of the Committee on Education, said the selected students are expected to undergo apprenticeships with companies under MCCI. He also mentioned that MCC is currently adjusting its curriculum to meet societal needs.
Suspended Mayor Jonas Cortes, who was invited to the event, expressed that the collaboration would greatly contribute to promoting progress and opportunity.
“This is actually laying the strong foundation for a new workforce,” said Cortes.