Palace: Curriculum updates, jobs mismatch discussed at Cabinet meeting

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is "fully supportive" of potential reviews of the country's education curricula to help provide students with skills that industries will hire them for, the Palace said Tuesday in a briefing document.

Commenting on the Cabinet meeting that Marcos Jr. led by teleconference on Tuesday, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said matters discussed included "workers' skills, competencies, and the way the Philippines produces its graduates."

She said updates to academic programs were among the suggestions to address those issues. She also said Marcos Jr. told officials at the Cabinet meeting that skills development should be done beyond the courses offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The press secretary said that Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual — former president of the University of the Philippines — told the president that the trade department has been "ramping up efforts to help universities develop micro-credentialing systems to catch up with fast-changing technological advancements."

Micro-credentialing refers to shorter courses that workers can take to learn to do more tasks and earn certificates. Pascual reportedly noted that the National University of Singapore has been offering focused short courses on certain technologies where students can earn micro-credentials.
 
"We're developing or helping universities develop this system of micro-credentialing because technology is changing very fast. There is a need for workers to update themselves, to reskill or upskill," the Palace quoted Pascual as saying.

Pascual also suggested sending more teachers abroad for training, the Palace said.