The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said the partnership between Philippine and Canadian schools on aircraft maintenance and avionics will produce “world-class” Filipino engineers and technologists.
This followed the agreement signing between the Philippine State College of Aeronautics, World Citi College, and British Columbia Institute of Technology for a training program on aircraft maintenance and avionics that will have components both in the Philippines and Canada.
“Dito sa Pilipinas, napakalaki ng ating airline industry pati sa region, pero wala tayong malaking manpower to provide the support services for the airline industry,” CHED chairperson Dr. J Prospero De Vera III said in the July 6 Laging Handa briefing.
“Kapag nagdugtong ang Philippine universities at Canadian universities, ang ating mga estudyante [ay] magkakaroon ng access doon sa training to become aircraft engineers with credentials both from the Philippines and Canada,” he said.
De Vera said this will create pathways for Filipino graduates to practice globally.
“Naghahanap tayo ng mga niche programs na magpo-produce tayo ng critical manpower na world class at kinakailangan talaga ng industriya. Isa dito yung aircraft maintenance tiyaka avionics, kakaunti o halos wala ang manpower sa Philippines niyan,” he said.
Other Philippine schools also sealed a deal with their Canadian counterparts for programs including health sciences and nursing.
De Vera said the deals include alignment of curriculum with Canada to give their graduates credentials in Canada.
Nurse shortage
Amid the country’s shortage of nurses, De Vera said they have proposed immediate to long-term solutions.
Among the long-term solutions include opening more quality nursing programs to provide additional 3,000 nurses in five to six years.
For the medium term, he said they are proposing to cut the workload of nurses by passing them to healthcare assistants and associates.
He said they are working on shortening the nursing master’s program and shorter courses for healthcare associates.
Meanwhile, immediate solutions, according to De Vera, said helping non-board passers become licensed nurses.
“Tutulungan natin sila na makakuha ng magandang review classes doon sa ating magagaling na pamantasan ‘yan eh [ay] pagtutulungang pondohan ng Department of Health, ng mga private hospitals, at ng CHED para maka-produce na tayo ng additional nurses,” he said. – With reports from Christian Andrei Bautista-ag
