Industry Forum In Zambales

The Zambales Provincial Government through its Provincial Technical Education and Skills Development Committee (PTESDC) held the very first Provincial Industry Forum on May 27, 2015 at the Bishop Henry Byrne Diocesan Pastoral Center in Iba, Zambales.

The forum was designed to map out a program that would address job – skill mismatch in the province by identifying the skills demand in order for the education curriculum to be aligned with it.

“The purpose of this industry forum is to increase the productivity of the people of Zambales and Olongapo City by creating awareness on what skills are needed by the industries,” said Vice Gov. Ramon G. Lacbain II, chairman of PTESDC.

Vice Gov. Lacbain added that the target of the forum is to inform mainly the educators of this province on what skills are needed by the industries to be able to match what is being taught to students to ensure their employment.

The event was attended by 164 participants consist of technical vocational institution administrators and trainors, secondary school heads and representatives, industries such as the Keppel and Sanyo Denki, Olongapo – Zambales Association of Private Technical Institutions (OZAPTI) officers, Municipal Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Managers, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Provincial Office staff.

To enlighten the participants on what skills are demanded by the industries in the province, in the region, and in the country as a whole, Bureau of Local Employment Director Dominique R. Tutay, Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Director Leonila Baluyut, Atty. Roel John T. Kabigting of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Jaime P. Mendoza, Jr. of the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce shared their knowledge and insights on the subject matter.

Resource speakers also gave emphasis on the necessary skills such as the English language skills and soft skills that the youth lack today.

Responses from the academe, particularly from the Department of Education in Zambales, Olongapo City, and in the region emphasized that the K-12 program of DepEd could really help in achieving the aim of the industry forum and in supplying the skills needed by the industries. They also pledged support to the goals of the organizers of the forum.

The first Industry Forum organized by the PTESDC headed by Vice Gov. Ramon G. Lacbain II in cooperation with TESDA Provincial Office under the leadership of Provincial Director Virginia Bondoc drew guests like TESDA Regional Director Teodoro M. Gatchalian, Zambales Governor Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr., and Sta. Cruz Mayor Consolacion M. Marty.

TESDA Regional Director Teodoro M. Gatchalian applauded the organizers of the industry forum for pioneering this kind of forum in Central Luzon. With the success of the Industry Forum, Director Gatchalian announced that soon the region-wide industry forum will be conducted and the venue will be in Zambales.