AMDev connects with Laguna stakeholders

In photo: The Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI) – Amherst convened with the representatives of Laguna industries, with TESDA Regional and Provincial officials also in attendance, on June 06, 2023, at the Amherst Laboratories, Inc. facility in Biñan.

The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Alliance (AMDev) Program Management Team, through its Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) Catherine Racho, joined the meeting of stakeholders from the government, industry and academe led by Amherst Laboratories, Inc. (ALI) in Biñan on June 06, 2023, and introduced the AMDev initiatives aligned with the sector’s workforce development thrust.

UNILAB, Inc. Corporate Vice President for Manufacturing Network and member of TESDA Industry Board of Region IV-A, Engr. Limuel Razo convened the representatives of the Laguna Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Investment Capital Corporation of the Philippines (ICCP), Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI), Dualtech Training Center, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAPSCU) and discussed how the industry could help bridge the gap in the education system and the industry needs.

Unilab Pharma Academy Dean Wrianeile Abuel presented the AMI-Amherst training courses and offered to conduct the trainings free of charge for all members of the industry groups who need them. He also shared which courses address the top skills and competency needs of the sector according to the initial results of AMDev’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Survey which collected responses from 224 manufacturing companies across the country.

DCOP Racho was given the floor to introduce the AMDev Program goals, structures, and ongoing initiatives, such as the establishment of the AMIs and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Council (AMSC), and the development of an advanced manufacturing curriculum and competency framework.

In Photo: DCOP Catherine Racho (left) answering the Industry partners’ questions regarding the AMDev Program initiatives with PAPSCU President Dr. Antonio del Carmen (right). June 06, 2023.

All participants, particularly TESDA and LCCI, expressed their interest in formally partnering with AMDev and requested a copy of the Workforce Survey Results to help inform their respective manufacturing workforce development programs. TESDA CALABARZON Regional Director Baron Lagran and Laguna Provincial Director Cariza Dacuma acknowledged the opportunities for improvement in TESDA’s service delivery and the pressing need for better and more effective interventions aligned with the industry needs.