The preparedness of graduates for the animation, game development, software industry, and health information management sectors is low, results of a survey conducted by the Board of Investments (BOI) and the Commission on Higher Education showed.
The BOI in a statement said the National Skills Mapping Survey also found that some companies partner with the academe for f internship and curriculum development to improve graduates’ preparedness to take on jobs in these in-demand information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) jobs.
However, smaller studios may not have the headcount to dedicate to such partnership, the BOI added.
The survey conducted between November 2021 and January this year, aimed to map out the skills requirements of the IT-BPM sector and course offerings of universities. The initiative would help the industry stakeholders to consider the changes in the labor market brought about by the pandemic and the fast adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
The BOI said the survey recommended the conduct of a comprehensive curriculum review and the re-alignment of existing IT-related course offerings in schools.
Ana Maria Bongato, former executive director of talent development of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, said soft skills continue to be one of the main concerns of the sectors, which include the following: communication, work ethics, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
The survey recommended that the education sector (basic and tertiary) should work hand in hand with the industry on ways of improving the competencies of the students. It also suggested that there should be a review of the existing programs being implemented by various government agencies, namely: Bachelor of Science in Entertainment and Multimedia Computing for Animation and Game Development, BSBA and BS IT with specialization in Service Management, Nursing informatics subject submitted by the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and Department of Information and Communications Technology programs.
