Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25) — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to identify the specific needs of industry players to deal with job mismatch problems, Malacañang said.
During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy noted that many information technology (IT) graduates do not possess the “right tools” and training required by the ICT industry, the Palace statement added.
Uy said students taking up STEM programs are also decreasing.
According to the data of Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), there were 81,477 IT graduates in academic year (AY) 2018-2019.
In terms of enrollment, 324,696 students took an IT program for AY 2019-2020 while it peaked to over 460,000 in AY 2015-2016.
The statement said Marcos wants the government to offer a scholarship program for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses to address the “lack of talent” for ICT businesses.
Undergraduate scholarship programs available at the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) already cover ICT-related degrees.
Last July, Marcos wanted a review in the country’s education curriculum to make sure students are equipped with skills demanded by the labor market.
Marcos, a self-proclaimed frustrated scientist, earlier urged the DOST to come up with more initiatives that will encourage Filipino students to enroll in STEM courses.
