The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Australian government have launched a ₱1.6-billion education partnership aimed at producing more job-ready Filipino senior high school graduates by aligning classroom learning with industry needs.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong formally unveiled the Education Quality for Inclusive Prosperity (EQUIP) program at Mariano Marcos Memorial High School in Manila.
Backed by AUD40 million (about ₱1.6 billion), the five-year initiative seeks to improve the employability of senior high school graduates by strengthening technical and vocational education, expanding work immersion opportunities, and addressing skills gaps in key industries.
Angara said the program will be implemented jointly by DepEd and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), headed by Director General Jose Francisco Benitez.
“Through this partnership, let us continue building an education system that equips our learners with the competencies, confidence, and character they need to succeed in the future they deserve,” Angara said.
Wong said Australia has been working with the Philippines on education initiatives for more than three decades and remains committed to supporting reforms that prepare students for the workforce.
“A quality and accessible senior secondary school education system will give business and industry the skilled workforce it needs and help the Philippine economy to grow,” she said.
Under the EQUIP program, industry partners will work with government agencies to design training programs that respond to labor market requirements in construction, healthcare, information and communications technology, tourism, transport and logistics, and manufacturing.
The initiative will also modernize work immersion programs with support from Australian institutions, including Melbourne Polytechnic, The Gordon Institute, and the Australian Council for Educational Research.
In addition to expanding technical-vocational pathways in senior high school, the program will strengthen collaboration between DepEd and TESDA, provide literacy and numeracy interventions for struggling learners, and enhance teacher training.
New data systems will also be introduced to improve education planning and better match graduates with employment opportunities.
Metro Manila has been chosen as the initial implementation area, with pilot schools including Mariano Marcos Memorial High School in Manila, Lagro High School and Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City, Dalandanan National High School in Valenzuela, and Don Arcadio Santos National High School in Parañaque.
Education officials said the initiative is expected to help narrow the country’s skills mismatch by ensuring that senior high school graduates leave school with competencies that meet the evolving needs of employers and support long-term economic growth. TRACY CABRERA