THE Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) has joined a consortium led by RTI International to implement the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) funded US-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning (Upskill) Program.

Upskill is a five-year program that works with various sectors including the government, academe, and industries to help Philippine higher education become more globally competitive through innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The job market is evolving so quickly, with new technologies and processes reshaping how industries operate. Without strong industry-academe collaboration, graduates risk being underprepared for these changes, making it harder for them to find meaningful employment,” PBEd Executive Director Justine Raagas said.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently intensified its efforts and called for stronger partnerships between universities and industry leaders to ensure that the skills taught in classrooms are aligned with the demands of the rapidly changing global labor market.

Key activities in the Upskill program include a Youth Engagement Roadshow, which conducted a #VibeCheck STEM Students’ Forum at Batangas State University (BatSU). The forum connected Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Stem) college students with industry experts through open dialogues and discussions on career pathways, challenges, and opportunities in the modern workforce.

Technology-driven engineering consultancy firm ESCA Engineering Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jean Jacquelyn de Castro served as the keynote speaker of the event, highlighting the significant role of engineers in building the future.