Education that works

In the World Bank Philippine Development Report “Creating More and Better Jobs,” it is stated that an estimated 14.6 million jobs will be needed by 2016. The report emphasizes the need to focus policy reform that can lead to an agenda of job creation, as it highlights issues that have been hindering our country’s growth.

Indeed, the report states that “there is no simple solution for creating more and better jobs as this is linked to resolving deep-seated structural issues in the economy—only a comprehensive reform agenda that is owned and supported by a broad reform coalition can foster a business environment conducive to private sector job creation by firms of all sizes.” In this light, it suggests a rather daunting—but nevertheless necessary—long-term, three-phase schedule of reforms that stakeholders can embark on. However, there may be short-term areas that the business and education reform communities can focus on, such as industry-academe linkages that can lead to sustained job creation.

The implementation of the K-to-12 Law and other education reforms pushed by this administration brings rays of hope for our education system. I submit, though, that the outcome should still lead to job creation. The vocational tracks in years 11 and 12 are currently being finalized, as they should be, in close coordination with industry. The way things stand at the moment, those who have only high school degrees usually find low-paying, low-skill work. We hope this will change with the establishment of senior high school. As in the United States, our model of education is highly focused on getting the four-year college degree over completing a competitive Vocational and Education Training (VET) program and getting a job.

And though a change of cultural mindset is in order, the government should also be able to give the public information on what kind of jobs will be available 10, 15, or even 20 years from now, along with what industries will take the helm and strengthen inclusive growth. As it is, there is no cohesive long-term vision for education in our country—a vision that can lead to proper policy reforms to support this whether in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, labor, or business regulations—all of which tied together can eventually lead to job creation, competitiveness and inclusive growth.

Are we training our students for jobs that even exist or will exist in the future?

Only strong industry linkages will determine this. The involvement of industry and the private sector in successful VET programs involves providing not only trainors or internship but also actual investments in the form of equipment, hardware, and personnel—all with the goal of producing skilled graduates that are immediately employable. This type of training also allows students access to a three-dimensional learning process over the traditional two-dimensional learning.

The Philippine Business for Education’s Philippine Pact for Youth Employment bases its program on the German model of vocational training where apprentices are considered employees. Germany’s National Pact on Vocational and Educational Training is built on the dual-tech system among the government, employers and business associations to alleviate youth unemployment. The Philippine Pact, a five-year social pact between industry and government, aims to create 100,000 apprenticeship positions a year and to institutionalize an apprenticeship program that not only provides training and income opportunities but also creates an alternative education-employment path to higher education.

Europe 2020 established the European VET policy strategic goals for 2020, the highlights of which include: making VET an attractive learning option with high relevance to labor market needs and pathways to higher education; continuing VET for people in different life situations; simplifying skill development and career changes; widening accessibility to VET, making it more inclusive; and supporting permeability and making it easier to move between different parts of the education and training system. In Switzerland, less than 3 percent of its young people are unemployed; the majority of them join VET programs after finishing secondary education, and choose VET over a college degree.

If students or professionals want to pursue further education or training abroad, they should also be encouraged to do so. On the negative side, this would be seen as a loss of skilled workers for our country. But what would make this more interesting is if incentives are provided for them to return and share the knowledge they have gained. One of the quantitative benchmarks that the EU states have agreed on is that “at least 20 percent of higher education graduates should have a period of related study or training (including work placements) abroad.”

From the Education Commission in 1992 which recommended the trifocalization of our education system to this administration’s education reform program with K-to-12 as the centerpiece, there is now an urgent need to create a vision and agenda that will lay down the country’s priorities in education and job creation for the next 25 years and beyond, in order to see continued progress and reform for our country. If there is one area of reform that should be consistent regardless of politics, it should be education.

Ching Jorge (chingjorge@gmail.com) is the executive director of the Bato Balani Foundation, lead convener of Young Public Servants, an Asia21 fellow, and a trustee of the International Center for Innovation Transformation and Excellence in Governance.