THE DEPARTMENT of Education has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Private Sector Advisory Council jobs committee, through the Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corporation, to provide senior high school learners with enhanced work immersion opportunities.

In an interview with the “Malacañang Insider” program on Friday, Secretary Sonny Angara said the agreement will ensure that more SHS graduates will be employable through proper skills matching and longer work immersion, in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“Hindi lang iyong padaplis na work immersion na sandali, isang linggo, dalawang linggo, kundi babad talaga sila. So, makakakuha sila ng skills and mase-certify sila (It’s not just a light work immersion that’s swift, just one to two weeks, but learners will be really immersed. So, they can really acquire skills and they will be certified), “Angara said.

“Kaya (That’s why they will become) very employable or hireable sila pagkatapos ng kanilang (after their) work immersion,” he added.

Among the available industries for enhanced work immersion are Information Technology and Business Process Management, tourism and hospitality, agriculture and entrepreneurship and manufacturing, among others.

“Gagawin nating akma sa mga pangangailangan ng industriya at bibigyan natin ng menu o pagpipilian iyong mga magulang at estudyante kung ano iyong natitipuhan nilang pasukan na industriya (We will make it appropriate for the needs of the industries, we will give parents and students a menu or options on whatever industry they want to be engaged in),” Angara said.

Ten schools, including one specializing in the Alternative Learning System (ALS), will participate in the pilot implementation of the enhanced immersion program.

Angara lauded the private sector’s support to improve the country’s education landscape.

“I’m very gratified. I think it’s the sign of the goodwill of the Marcos administration dahil nakikita ng pribadong sektor na very open si Pangulong Marcos(because the private sector is seeing that President Marcos is very open),” he said.

Partner industries include Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Information Technology Business Processing Association of the Philippines, Philippine Constructors Association, Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, iPeople through the National Teachers College, SM Group, and Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (Go Negosyo).

Besides longer internships for learners, the agreement also intends to train teachers and provide job fairs.

Community support

Angara, meanwhile, lauded the joint efforts of the local community and teachers to push through with the opening of schools as scheduled on July 29 or in the succeeding days despite the effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon and Super Typhoon Carina.

“Sila na mismo na nasira iyong kanilang mga bahay o apektado sila ng baha, pero nandoon sila sa eskwelahan para lang malinis, para lang mahanda iyong mga aklat o libro ng ating mga estudyante(Those whose houses were damaged or affected by the flooding, they were the ones present in schools to clean, to prepare the books of our learners),” he said, citing the normalization of classes in all schools on August 6, or a week after the formal opening of classes.

On July 29, a total of 1,063 schools postponed the official start of their classes for Academic Year 2024-2025.

The DepEd, meanwhile, recorded 24,679,061 enrolled learners from elementary to senior high school in all public and private schools, including 316,466 ALS learners.

The data translate to 89 percent of the DepEd’s 27,722,835 target enrollees for the year. (PNA)