DTI, JICA open up auto sector to TIP students

The Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments (BOI) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have entered into an agreement with the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) and online employment portal Jobstreet Philippines to collaborate in ensuring there is sufficient talent pool to promote the development of the local automotive industry.

Under the memorandum of agreement (MOA), the parties would work together to push for the growth of the local automotive manufacturing industry.

As part of the agreement, the parties will hold a Philippine Auto Industry - Academia Congress on Sept. 28 at the TIP campus in Quezon City, where students would be informed of possible employment op- portunities in the automotive industry.

The event would also enable TIP to forge a stronger linkage with auto-related firms in the improvement of its curricula and the expansion of its technopreneurship and collaborative applied research activities.

With Jobstreet as part of the event, students from TIP and from other universities, colleges and technical and vocational education training providers would be able to widen their career options after graduating.

Automotive firms, meanwhile will have the opportunity to select the most qualified and most capable of students.

“The project is among the collaboration projects between the Philippines and Japan in promoting the domestic automotive industry and deepen its involvement in the regional and global value chains. It focuses on the human resource development, local suppliers development and investment promotion. The upcoming congress will allow for greater collaboration between the government and the academe. As schools improve its curricula, it will also allow students to consider the job opportunities offered by the automotive industry, BOI executive director Corazon Halili-Dichosa said.

For his part, TIP senior vice president Angelo Lahoz said the school’s participation in the project is in line with its intention to ensure the curriculum is attuned to the requirements of the industries.

“So this opens up more job opportunities for our students once they graduate,” he said.