The third edition of the Government-Academe-Industry Network (GAIN) convention was recently held at the Dusit Thani Hotel to focus on a trend that is starting to emerge: smart cities.
The first and second GAIN conventions tackled the Philippine workforce’s preparedness for the 4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. This time, the emergence of smart cities was at the center of discussions.
Monette Hamlin, president of GAIN, said, “In 2018, our first ‘big step’ was to come up with the first GAIN convention. At that time our focus was really to tell people that there is a problem.”
The event she mentioned, which was held at the Heritage Hotel, highlighted vital skills like complex problem-solving, managing people, being a team player, flexibility in cognitive behavior, and emotional intelligence as the most needed qualities for the 21st century workforce.
“It started with the drop in the English language proficiency and we were very alarmed of that finding, considering that we have been trumpeting our message to the world that the advantage of the Filipino talent is our English language. We decided to do something about it,” explained Hamlin.
For GAIN 2020, the sights were set on how to meet the requirements of future jobs and why governing bodies and the academe must work together in forging the path of employment towards the industry.
During the first day of the recent convention, Baguio City representative Mark Go delivered the keynote address on “Providing for an Educational Roadmap Towards Global Competitiveness and Human Capital Development” since he has been appointed as chairperson of the Higher and Technical Education Committee in the Lower House.
Go said that “It has always been my belief that education is the greatest equalizer that must always be able to afford our citizens the leverage to escape the throes of poverty and achieve success and accomplishment in their lifetime.”
The spotlight was also trained on the “framework’” developed by ASEAN Smart Cities Network which gave emphasis on two key urban systems needed for a smart city with a high quality of life, a competitive economy, and a sustainable environment.
