IT bloc takes on challenge of jobs-skills mismatch

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has forged partnerships with industries and the academe to build a stronger workforce and help address the jobs-skills mismatch in the country.

The move is expected to help the group meet its 2016 target of generating $25 billion in revenue and 1.3 million jobs for the local business process management sector.

Given the figures, the sector is expected to account for about 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

In a statement issued last Friday, IBPAP said that it recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Genpact, Pricing Administration Center of American President Lines (PAC-APL), and Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) for the Service Management Program (SMP).

According to IBPAP, the SMP is a 21-unit specialized course for students pursuing careers in business administration, management or in information technology.

Developed by IBPAP and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), SMP is designed to cultivate the skill sets needed by students for an entry-level position in the fast-growing IT-BPM industry.

“The signing of this MOA marks another milestone in strengthening the industry through a solid partnership with the academe. As we take another step toward our goals of achieving employment for 1.3 million Filipinos by 2016, we will continue to strengthen our pathways for a more sustainable growth,” said IBPAP chair and Genpact country manager Danilo Reyes.

At present, LSPU houses IBPAP-certified SMP trainers who facilitate some of the course electives, as well as the Basic English Skills Training (BEST) and Advanced English Pre-employment Training (AdEPT) language tracks in campuses at Siniloan, San Pablo, Santa Cruz, and Los Baños.

Over 1,000 students have already signed up for these electives, IBPAP reported.

PAC-APL, one of the world’s leading ocean container, shipping, and transportation companies, meanwhile said it was hopeful that the LSPU would be able to provide the firm with skilled graduates suited to its requirements.

“We have state-of-the-art vessels and great applications, but we must have people to execute those transactions, manage the systems, and make the right decisions,” said PAC-APL managing director Aaron Key II. “We look forward to LSPU in providing the company with the best people that our company needs.”

For this year alone, IBPAP expects the local IT-BPM sector to post a 21-percent hike in revenue to  $16 billion. This is higher than the 19-percent revenue growth initially projected by the association.