The SM Group, through the SM Foundation, said it will connect trainees and graduates of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) with various career opportunities across the SM group of companies, including sectors such as construction, food and beverage, hospitality, logistics, and more.
In a statement on Sunday, the SM Foundation said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TESDA, which is aligned with the SM Job Opportunities Building Skills (JOBS) advocacy. It did not indicate the number of learners or graduates to be accommodated.
JOBS aims to develop industry-responsive training standards and curricula, conduct skills training and enterprise-based education and training, and facilitate job matching through SM job fairs and other employment initiatives, the SM Foundation said.
The MOU was signed on May 7 in Pasay City by Frederic DyBuncio, president and CEO of the SM Investments Corp., and TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez.
“We strongly believe that our continued growth as a business is deeply connected to the development of the people we serve and partner with. That’s why this partnership is important to us,” DyBuncio said in the statement.
The SM Foundation said the partnership would further build on the efforts on job matching and upskilling initiated by the SM Group with strategic partners. On Labor Day last May 1, SM Supermalls hosted 20 job fairs in its various malls nationwide, connecting 15,000 job seekers with about 1,000 employers, which resulted in more than 2,000 being hired on the spot.
The Asia Pacific College, an SM-affiliated institution, has been conducting several upskilling sessions with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines on artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentals and business applications; and data analytics and AI maturity, the SM Foundation added.
The partnership has been working to equip Filipino talents with the tools to enhance their productivity, support their professional development, and thrive in a competitive economy, the SM Foundation said.
Also signing the MOU were Carmen Linda Atayde, executive director for education at the SM Foundation; and TESDA Deputy Director General Nelly Dillera, in-charge of the Technical-Vocational Education and Training Partnership (TVETP), and Community-Based TVETs.
TESDA on its website also said it had 1.25 million graduates across various delivery modes in 2024.
SM Investments, the holding company of the Sy-controlled SM Group, said in its 2024 annual report it had 142,000 employees as of the end of that year.
