By Monsi A. Serrano
Recognizing the rapid evolution and disruption in the business, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to craft an Industry 4.0 Skills Roadmap, to prepare the Filipino workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“The forging for the 4th Industrial Revolution is essential, hence, we have to be prepared, create the necessary roadmap and work with other agencies,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez pointed out.
There are three agencies will identify the skills needed by the country’s priority industries and create training programs for such skills.
The Roadmap, expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2020, will be consistent with the Philippine Development Plan, Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy, and Inclusive “Filipinnovation” and Entrepreneurship Roadmap. DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said that upskilling is essential to stay relevant in the future of work and that he also wants to build Industry 4.0 training facilities for small and medium enterprises.
Meanwhile, DTI Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba, training is required to fill new roles such as data analysts, data scientists, and artificial and machine learning specialists. But aside from technical skills, she said that soft skills such as analytical thinking, innovation, creativity, originality, problem solving, leadership, and emotional intelligence are also needed to thrive in Industry 4.0. Signing the agreement were from L to R: TESDA Director-General Isidro Lapena, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello, and Secretary Lopez, witnessed by TESDA Deputy Director-General Rosanna Urdaneta, DOLE Director Dominique Tutay, and DTI Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba.