SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday urged stronger collaboration between the Department of Education and private companies to improve the work immersion program for senior high school students, saying such efforts are vital to boosting employability.

“Boosting the employability of senior high school graduates goes hand in hand with forging stronger partnerships with the private sector,” Gatchalian said.

He cited the ongoing partnership between DepEd and a major fast-food chain as a successful model, noting that it has provided students valuable real-world experience in the quick-service restaurant industry.

“Kung nais nating maging handa sa trabaho ang ating mga senior high school graduates, kailangan paigtingin natin ang pakikilahok ng pribadong sektor,” the senator added.

Gatchalian said he remains committed to pushing for the passage of the proposed Batang Magaling Act, which seeks to institutionalize measures that will better prepare senior high school graduates for the workforce by strengthening work immersion, skills development, and industry linkages.

The senator has long advocated reforms to the senior high school program, pointing out that many graduates still struggle to find jobs despite the program’s original goal of producing work-ready Filipinos.