Aiming to bridge the disconnect between academia and industry, MCC Assistant Vice President for Linkages and International Affairs Engr. Joshua Ken Policarpio presented a talk about contract education on 8 February 2025 at Don Bosco College. This underscored the college’s commitment to extending service to the community through sharing its best practices.
During the event entitled “DBC 2.0 EduVation Symposium,” Engr. Policarpio highlighted the urgent need for stronger academe-industry partnerships to address low employability rates, skill gaps, and the social exclusivity of higher education. Consequently, he referred contract education as a transformative model to bridge this persistent mismatch.
Contract Education offers a customized, industry-driven approach, wherein academic institutions collaborate with industries to develop tailored training programs that align with workforce demands. This model has already been implemented in countries like the United States, and Canada, proving its effectiveness in creating job-ready graduates.
Accordingly, MCC offers 19 certificate programs as of today, which intended to re-skill and up-skill the local community and contribute to potential job opportunities. Moreover, this directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 – No Poverty. SDG 4 – Quality Education. SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth. SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities and SDG 17 – Partnership for the Goals.
As industries continue to evolve, Engr. Policarpio underscored the importance of long-term partnerships, continuous curriculum improvement, and adaptability to labor market changes to sustain Contract Education in the Philippines.
