BOI, DEVCON partner to upskill Filipino workforce

MANILA, Philippines — The Board of Investments (BOI) has teamed up with the country’s largest community of developers and technology experts to enhance the skills of the Filipino workforce to meet industry needs.

In a statement, the BOI said Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo together with DevConnect Philippines Inc. (DEVCON) president and founder Winston Damarillo and DEVCON executive director Dominique De Leon signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Feb. 27.

The partnership aims to develop critical and foundational skills in engineering and technology starting from the basic education level.

DEVCON is a non-stock, non-profit organization committed to helping equip Filipinos with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital economy.

Through the MOU, the BOI and DEVCON will partner with the academe, particularly those with core focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines and provide access to essential tools, open-source technologies and expertise.

The BOI and DEVCON will also promote lifelong learning and skills development among relevant beneficiaries, stakeholders and underserved communities by enabling them to acquire necessary skills such as robotics, coding and software development.

There will also be community promotions and campus roadshows to highlight the young Filipinos’ role in nation building and to promote opportunities in the government’s priority sectors.

“This MOU signifies a major advancement in our efforts to build a stronger talent pool, in close collaboration with the private sector. We are dedicated to working with DEVCON to implement strategic initiatives that will ignite interest in science and technology among our future workforce, thereby addressing the decline of enrollees in engineering and other related fields,” Rodolfo said.

The BOI aims to capacitate 128,000 engineers and technicians by 2033.

Rodolfo said the partnership also supports the country’s information technology, semiconductor and electronics, as well as other priority industries in need of job-ready graduates.

The MOU is also aligned with the objectives of the BOI’s AIM! Program, which seeks to strengthen collaboration with education agencies and institutions to enhance workforce readiness for industry requirements.

“Ultimately, this will expand our local capabilities and secure the Philippines’ position as a leading investment hub in the region for these in-demand industries,” Rodolfo said.