WITH the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), government institutions, particularly public education, has to adopt a more open attitude to change to effectively develop a future-ready Philippine workforce, according to a panel of experts.
Industry players, policymakers and the academe should also collaborate on enhancing the responsiveness of the education system and preparing future workers for the 4IR, they said.
The experts made the call during a recent conference held by the Asian Institute of Management Rizalino S. Navarro Policy Center for Competitiveness (AIM RSN PCC), in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Philippines.
Speakers
Teddy Monroy of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and Poon King Wang, director of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities in Singapore, said in their presentations that based on global innovation indices (GII), the Philippines is not ready for Industry 4.0 and has a lot of catching up to do.
The country ranked 73rd out of 126 countries (sixth out of eight in Southeast Asia) in the INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires) 2018 GII. In the World Economic Forum 2018 GII, the Philippines ranked 56th out of 140 countries (fifth out of nine in Southeast Asia).
Identified as primary challenges to 4IR adaptation in the Philippines are weak innovation and fragmented efforts; minimal research and development (R&D) and limited R&D capabilities; lack of research commercialization; and weak linkages and coordination among government, academe and industries.
Solutions
To address these, some Filipino institutions, particularly public education, have to improve their attitude towards change. Of particular interest are technical and vocational education and training regulations and policies.
Some policymakers have acknowledged 4IR in their development plans. In the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan 2018-2022, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) acknowledged the challenges of the 4IR. Adopting an enterprise-based training as a dominant mode, adopting international standards for TVET, and adopting skills needs anticipation to identify skills requirements are some of Tesda’s responses to mitigate adverse impacts.
An encompassing human resource policy is also important. Some panelists suggested crafting one that includes concrete actions to help future workers adapt better to 4IR.
Meanwhile, to build an Industry 4.0 ecosystem, support and development of the following digital connectivity and infrastructure; skills and capacity building; standards for interoperability and governance; business ecosystem for SMEs; and science, technology, and innovation is imperative, said the panelists.
In the future of education, lifelong learning alongside use of simple technologies, and new methods of learning, are emerging trends. “Communication and interpersonal skills, values formation, and an attitude of willingness to learn and re-learn are necessary to thrive in the 4IR,” the experts stressed.
Study
The AIM RSN PCC has also released a study entitled, “Mapping the 4IR At-Risk Workers in the Philippines.”
The new study found that about 16 percent of all jobs in the Philippines are included in the top 50 most at-risk occupations of being automated in the 4IR, and posits that education and skills training are crucial to enable workers to gain access to more opportunities to find better jobs. (PHILEXPORT NEWS AND FEATURES)