The Philippines and the US have launched a P1.6 billion program, first announced by leaders of both states in May 2023, to help Philippine higher education graduates become more globally competitive.
Led by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the five-year US-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning (UPSKILL) program was rolled out on Tuesday, Feb. 20, to strengthen innovation, workforce development, and entrepreneurship in Philippine colleges and universities.
According to the US Embassy in Manila, the program will bring together US universities, Philippine government agencies that are engaged in human capital development, and private sector partners to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education institutions.
That will be done through faculty and staff training, curriculum improvements, and increasing community outreach and technology transfer, the embassy said.
”These efforts will improve the qualifications and career prospects of Filipino higher education graduates to continuously meet evolving workforce needs and enhance linkages between US and Philippine universities,” it added
UPSKILL will be implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International through a consortium of US universities—including Arizona State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University—and Philippine partners—such as Edukasyon.ph and the Philippine Business for Education
That will be done through faculty and staff training, curriculum improvements, and increasing community outreach and technology transfer, the embassy said.
”These efforts will improve the qualifications and career prospects of Filipino higher education graduates to continuously meet evolving workforce needs and enhance linkages between US and Philippine universities,” it added
UPSKILL will be implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International through a consortium of US universities—including Arizona State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University—and Philippine partners—such as Edukasyon.ph and the Philippine Business for Education.
“The challenges and opportunities that young people face today in the workplace make college training and education critical for their future success,” visiting USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for East Asia and the Pacific Sara Borodin said during the program launch at the University of Santo Tomas.“Through this new USAID program, the United States government reaffirms its commitment to working with our Filipino partners in transforming the higher education sector,” she added.
