To “future-proof” the country’s workforce and to cultivate globally competitive Filipino talents, the Department of Information and Communications Technology launched on Tuesday, May 7, the Philippine Skills Framework (PSF) for five ICT-related industries at the Brittany Hotel in Taguig City.
The PSF Initiative is a result of the partnership between the Philippines and Singapore, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2019 between the Department of Trade and Industry, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and SkillsFuture Singapore to improve the country’s human capital.
PSF links the government, industry, and the academe to align industry demands and cultivate a skilled and globally competitive Filipino workforce.
Industry leaders and key players presented the newly developed Philippine Skills Framework during the ceremonial launching. The frameworks will indicate relevant industry information, jobs roles, career pathways, and training programs, and skills requirements based on industry needs, ensuring a globally competitive Filipino workforce.
“The PSF is aligned with the DICT’s commitment to future-proofing the workforce by harnessing the power of AI, our initiatives aim to empower individuals to excel in an AI and data-driven economy,” DICT secretary Ivan Uy said in a video message.
DICT undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue reiterated that the launching of the PSF is a manifestation of embracing frontier technologies and leveraging them for successfully engaging, developing, and inspiring the future of the country’s talents.
As part of the PSF Council, the DICT led the development of the PSFs for the information technology and business process management and frontier technologies industries including contact center, healthcare information management services, global in-house center, software development, and data analytics and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, Sen. Sonny Angara in his video message expressed his support to the PSF initiative, stressing that the widening digital divide underscores the need for investment in infrastructure, software, and most importantly, in the Filipino people themselves, to harness the opportunities presented by technology.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also affirmed their commitment in supporting and adapting the PSF in their programs and policies for ICT and education.
Aligned with the agency’s sectoral priorities, TESDA deems PSF as essential to ensure that its technical, vocational, education, and training programs are relevant, inclusive, and at par with industry standards.
Meanwhile, CHED also pledged to integrate the PSF in its policies to encourage all state universities and colleges (SUCs), and private higher education institutions (HEI) to adapt the frameworks, thereby transforming higher education in this digital age.
