Australia, DepEd launch P1.6-B program to boost SHS students' job readiness

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Australian government on Tuesday launched a P1.6-billion program aimed at improving the quality of senior high school (SHS) education and better preparing graduates for employment or higher education.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong led the launch of the Education Quality for Inclusive Prosperity (EQUIP) program at Mariano Marcos Memorial High School in Manila.

Funded by the Australian government with AUD40 million (about P1.6 billion), the five-year initiative will run from 2025 to 2030 in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

DepEd said the program could receive an additional AUD20 million over three years, bringing Australia's total potential investment to AUD60 million through 2033.

"Through this partnership, let us continue building an education system that equips our learners with the competencies, confidence, and character they need to succeed in the future they deserve," Angara said.

"The EQUIP Program will support the Philippine government to improve and enhance the quality of senior high schools. It will help ensure that graduates are well prepared for their future, whether in continuing education or in seeking employment," Wong added.

According to DepEd, the program will strengthen work immersion by forging partnerships between Philippine schools and Australian institutions, including Melbourne Polytechnic, The Gordon Institute, and the Australian Council for Educational Research.

Industry partners will also help develop training programs aligned with workforce needs in sectors such as construction, healthcare, information and communications technology, tourism, transport and logistics, and manufacturing.

DepEd said EQUIP will also introduce literacy and numeracy interventions for struggling learners, provide capability-building programs for teachers, and develop data systems to improve education planning and skills matching.

The program’s first year will focus on five pilot schools in Metro Manila:

* Mariano Marcos Memorial High School in Manila;
* Lagro High School in Quezon City;
* Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City;
* Dalandanan National High School in Valenzuela City; and
* Don Arcadio Santos National High School in Parañaque City.

—VBL, GMA News