Philippines: "In the end, it all boils down to standards and professionalization."

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 40th anniversary of official relations between ASEAN and the European Union. The countries in Southeast Asia are confronted with similar challenges in the education sector, even though their economic development levels may differ. Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to the Federal Republic of Germany, describes the current situation and the perspectives of vocational training in the Philippines.

iMOVE: What is the basic structure of the education system in the Philippines?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: Vocational education and Training (VET) forms the non-formal sector of education in the Philippines, in contrast to the formal sector represented by academic education in schools, colleges and universities. While graduates of academic institutions hold diploma, young skilled workers in the manufacturing sector receive certificates which are issued by TESDA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. These certificates are recognized by both the public and the private sector as proof of a successfully completed training program. Additionally, there are private training providers who offer training courses and certificates for occupations like mechanic, plumber, tailor, hairdresser and so on.

iMOVE: What is the overall image of VET in society today?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: The natural inclination of Philippine parents is to help their children to obtain a college or university degree. They regard vocational training as a kind of collecting pond for highschool and university dropouts. We still do not have uniform training and examination standards for our professional workers. They may be sought after, but wages have not been professionalized - meaning they are not yet up to par with skilled workers in developed countries.

iMOVE: What role do the Philippine companies play in the training process?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: Our aim is to institutionalize on-the-job-oriented vocational training in the Philippines. The German-Philippine Chamber fo Commerce and Industry is helping us on this. One of the challenges is to let industry appreciate this process. Industry would be well advised to assume an active role in upgrading staff qualification by having more trainees and providing a budget for such. For example, they should allocate allowances for the trainees. But companies are hesitant to invest into training. They resort to offering short-term internships without payment. This current practice is neither very strategic nor goal-oriented. Only few and mostly big companies operate their own training institutes where they offer vocational and further training for their staff. Small and medium-sized companies tend to avail themselves of training courses offered by the Department of Trade and Industry, by the local chambers and by many private training providers.

iMOVE: Which are the industry sectors mostly in need of practice-oriented technical vocational education and Training (TVET)?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: Practically all sectors at all levels along the value-added chain could benefit from an institutionalized training system. This includes for example manufacturing, healthcare as well as administration and sales. And all aspects of work should be professionalized so that the whole system can be professionalized.

iMOVE: What kind of support would be useful?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: We could definitely use support in setting up training and certification standards. Experts who can provide the "German perspective" are welcome. The training of trainers in the sense of refreshing and upgrading the current know-how and technical expertise of our trainers would be important.

iMOVE: The share of citizens working abroad is higher in the Philippines than in any other country, except maybe Mexico. Are there vocational training programs which help to improve the situation of Overseas Filipino Workers and their families?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: In this context, I would also like to mention the successful placement of qualified nurses from the Philippines in Germany. It is not really a vocational training program, as our nurses get good college education, finish the course with a diploma and are placed in good positions in their field. It is called "Triple Win Project" and organized by the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). It offers work placement in Germany according to local conditions, preparatory support with acquiring German language and nursing skills as well as support with the emigration process and integration in Germany.

iMOVE: During the first seven months of 2017, you headed the Berlin ASEAN Committee (BAC), which is the exchange platform of the ambassadors from the ASEAN countries in Germany. Could you name major challenges regarding vocational education and further training that you and all or most of your colleagues from the ASEAN region face?

Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek: The duration of training programs may be an issue. Young people in Southeast Asia usually start to work immediately after they finish school. Time is a luxury article that most of us do not have. Generally, we cannot afford three years exclusively dedicated to more on-the-job training. We feel that we need to provide for our families as early as possible. School may not really prepare us for specialized occupations, but we are used to learning on the job. So integrating an apprenticeship program into our formal education system which is geared towards the German dual system could be a challenge due to time constraints.

One step to expand vocational and technical education has been made in the course of a recent reform in the Philippines. In the school year 2012/2013, the "K+12 Basic Education Program" was adopted. Since then, students can spend two more years at secondary school. Subject areas during this extra period focus on general education and on technical training.

In the context of shared challenges I would also like to stress the economic importance of the hotel and tourism sector for most countries in Southeast Asia. Together with my colleagues from Laos and Myanmar I visited the Hamburg Hotel School (Hotelfachschule Hamburg) last year. We were all deeply impressed by their effective training programs. We all wished we had schools like this to advance the skills of people working in this sector. Their various occupations need to be professionalized so that our countries can embrace the growing crowds of international tourists. In the end, it all boils down to standards and professionalization.