Role of academe emphasized

SCHOOL administrators and representatives from 30 partner-organizations of industries met recently to ensure an effective linkage between the two groups to help students land jobs in the local and international setting.

Industries represented were business, accountancy, nutrition and dietetics as well as tourism and hospitality.

The event was hosted by Our Lady of Fatima University’s College of Business and Accountancy and the College of Hospitality and Institutional Management.

Jesse Rebustillo and Andre Alip, Ad-Board chairmen of the CBA and CHIM, respectively, saw a need to review and improve current curricula, making sure these were calibrated to industry needs and aligned with developing strengths in demand in the global workplace. 

“There is a need for academe to catch up what with all the apps we have right now,” Rebustillo told the attendees.

OLFU president Dr. Caroline Marian S. Enriquez echoed Rebustillo’s sentiments when she said there was a need to match industry expectations versus curriculum deliverables. 

“Now, more than ever, we see the important role of educational institutions in nation building. Yusuf in 2007 wrote that universities act as an important driver of economic development and can catch up through their role in education and technology absorption, adaptation and diffusion,” said Enriquez. 

Penny Bongato, executive director of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, stressed the need to “develop an entrepreneurial mindset,” to keep in step with global counterparts.

Bongato said: “The academe must step-up its efforts in mastering the latest developments in digital technology such as robotics, machine learning engines, python programming language, and more.”