Graduates should have skills for the future – senator

SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian wants senior high school graduates equipped with skills needed for the so-called fourth industrial revolution so they can benefit from the government’s artificial intelligence (AI) roadmap.

The senator on Sunday lauded the proposed AI research center under the AI roadmap and pushed for K-12 graduates’ readiness for the fourth industrial revolution or “industry 4.0.”

“We must ensure that the skills of our youth match the country’s future needs,” Gatchalian said in a statement. “It is important that we start this preparation in the level of senior high school so that their skills and knowledge foundations are strong.”

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the proposed National Center for AI Research will serve as a shared hub for research, advance scientific discoveries

in AI, and develop AI talent and data science leaders.

Based on 2020 estimates by research firms EDBI and Kearney, AI is expected to boost Southeast Asia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by up to $1 trillion by 2030.

In the Philippines, its economic impact could lead to a 12-percent growth in GDP, which is equivalent to $92 billion, the senator said.

In 2017, worldwide management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. estimated that up to 48 percent of work activities performed in the Philippines could be automated.

Considering these projections,

Gatchalian stressed that the task of the education sector “is to ensure that learners are acquiring skills that would not be obsolete with the rise of AI.”

Aside from having a relevant curriculum, which is currently under review by the Department of Education (DepEd), Gatchalian, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, raised the importance of having highly qualified teachers who will equip learners with the competencies required of future AI talents.

The basic education sector should have the infrastructure to support the rollout of the AI’s roadmap, a move that can be achieved through the Public Education Network, he said.

In April, the DepEd and the Department of Information and Communications Technology inked agreements to establish the PEN, which will fast-track the installation of digital connectivity in public schools.