The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Education (DepEd), and Thames International School Inc. forged an agreement to offer and implement an e-commerce track to senior high school (SHS) students.

Outgoing DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual, DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, and Thames International co-founder and president Jaime Noel Santos signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Makati City Thursday that aims to build and strengthen the country’s pool of talent in e-commerce.

“A dedicated e-commerce track in senior high school is a strategic step toward creating a future-ready workforce. We need to prepare our workforce for the emerging industry, which is digital and AI-driven,” Pascual said.

He said the track will provide students with technical skills needed for the e-commerce industry, which is growing and supporting the Philippine economy.

He said this new track will prepare the students to be “job creators and innovators” since e-commerce opens new ways of doing business.

“The President’s emphasis on a future-ready education system is our guiding light. This partnership is a concrete step towards achieving this vision. Together, we will build a robust e-commerce ecosystem that drives economic growth, empowers our youth, and propels Bagong Pilipinas onto the global digital stage,” Pascual added.

Meanwhile, Santos said the MOA targets to enroll 1,000 students in the first year of the implementation of the e-commerce track and increase it to 50,000 SHS students in three to four years.

SHS employability

For his part, Angara said the E-Commerce Track would help ensure the employability of senior high school graduates, in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Under the agreement, learners may be trained in areas of digital marketing, supply and logistics, data analytics, online security, and computer systems, among others.

“Malaki ang tyansa na makakakuha ng tabaho ang ating graduates kahit (there’s a big chance that our graduates will land a job even after) Senior High School. At iyon ang pangako natin noong ipinasa natin ang (that’s what we have promised when we implemented the) K-12 (Kinder to Grade 12),” Angara said in an ambush interview.

Angara said the DepEd may inject the said track as part of the learners’ immersion, which is timely for the ongoing review and revision of the SHS curriculum.

He also underscored the need for such innovation in the curriculum to boost learners’ skills and interests.

“Maraming pumapasok diyan na makabagong industriya gaya ng (There are new industries coming in like) artificial intelligence, software development, game development, animation, iyong hindi pangkaraniwan ba, hindi bahagi ng curriculum (those that are not common, which are not part of our curriculum),” Angara said.

“Nakikita natin na may potensyal para ipasok iyong ilang subjects diyan. Dahil marami diyan, hilig ng mga bata e (We are seeing its potential to be inserted in several subjects. Because many of those fall under the learners’ interests).”

At least a thousand learners are expected to be accepted in the said track, with the first phase eyed in 50 schools in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, considering the concentration of e-commerce companies in the said regions. (PNA)