ITBAP seeks stronger ties with govt, academe to boost IT-BPM industry
THE Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) is seeking to strengthen its partnership with the government and the education sector to further boost the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry in the country.
IBPAP President and Chief Executive Officer Rey Untal said that his association has been collaborating with the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Department of Information Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to ensure the graduates joining the workforce have competencies aligned with the needs of the industry.
“Ever since IBPAP has partnered with the industry, the government, and various schools. . . we talk about the education. We have, for example, a memorandum of understanding before with Tesda wherein we have a voucher system for people to take up skills augmentation,” Untal said in an interview at the sidelines of the first-ever industry awareness fair at the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura Premier in Taguig City on Monday.
Untal said that a partnership with CHEd also enabled them to introduce service management program as an 18-unit course that allows future graduates to be equipped with skills that are needed by the industry.
The IBPAP head said that the association is targeting to increase the employability of the graduates.
“The initial information that we have shows that the hirability is not necessarily high. Hirability at its generous assessment is about 30 percent, meaning 30 percent of the graduates are hirable in the disciplines that they want to do,” Untal said.
“The challenge is how do we really increase hirability in the disciplines that are needed by the industry. That’s why a partnership with the private enterprises and the government is very important,” he added.
More than 3,000 students from various schools in Metro Manila attended the industry awareness fair.
Called “It Starts Here,” the event showcases various exciting career opportunities that are not only available in contact centers but also in other key sectors of the industry such as gaming, animation, IT and software development, global in-house centers, creative and health care management.
Aside from exploring potential careers in the industry, one of the highlights of the event is “Innovation for the Future,”which explores the startup community and the up and coming technologies from small to medium enterprises. Immersive technologies such as 3D and 2D animation, game development and innovations in the healthcare industry also take center stage during the event.
The event also serves as the launchpad of IBPAP’s industry career Career Portal - ItStartsHere.PH, which was designed to help senior high school and graduating students as well as industry professionals in identifying potential job opportunities within the IT-BPM industry and in the key sub-sectors.
ItStartsHere.PH includes features such as career test, career and skills mapping, and access to training institutions. It is also seen as a tool that will pave the way for more opportunities for people from all walks of life — from young people, professionals, career shifters to parents and teachers. A total of 2,425 colleges and universities offering IT-BPM disciplines and courses are also set for integration in the portal.
“We believe in the power of every Filipino talent and spirit, and this is just one of our many ways of empowering them as they improve their skills, move a notch higher in the industry, fulfill their goals and aspirations and grow our industry even further,” Cathy Ileto, IBPAP vice chairperson of the Board of Trustees, said.
“The IT-BPM industry works closely with both the academe and the government to ensure that we have enough and the right talent pool. IBPAP works with DICT to prepare the workforce for the skills necessary to fill the demand for higher value jobs. These partnerships are essential to address the employability gap. We have also partnered with DICT on several talent development and upskilling initiatives,” she added.