Academe-tourism ties pushed: Phl needs to address huge skills mismatch

CEBU, Philippines - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sees the need for the academe and tourism industry players to work hand-in-hand to address the huge skills mismatch in the sector.

Associate project analyst Marie Jessamin Mitra said, in a presentation with Cebu tourism stakeholders, that there should be a strong linkage between the academe and the industry as a very high mismatch is reflected in the NEET (not in education, employment or training) index in the Philippines.

In general, Mitra said graduates in the Philippines are not equipped with the necessary training and skills needed in the industry.

In the 2014 study jointly conducted by ADB and the Department of Tourism, it found out that 80 percent of the 1000 tourism establishments in the country being surveyed do not have good training program for their employees.

Majority of the companies in the tourism sector only allocate a minimal budget for training.

She said the Philippines, including Cebu which is one of the forerunners in advancing tourism growth, should improve on this area especially that the ASEAN integration would further intensify the competition among member countries.

Recently, Network of Independent Travel Agencies (NITAS) chairman Robert "Bobby" Joseph called the attention of the Commission on Higher Education to consider an immediate revamp of the tourism schools' curriculum, saying the current program is outdated and purely theoretical.

"There is a need to review and revamp the technical working group in CHED. You see, we are only producing college degree holders to housekeepers, waiters/waitresses, cashiers," said Joseph.

He said the tourism schools or the current curriculum of the tourism related courses is no longer applicable to the fast evolving industry of tourism, and that the free-flow of professionals in the ASEAN integration would also threaten the offering good employment opportunities to Filipinos here.

Joseph suggested that CHED should come up with standard curriculum for all tourism related courses like the Hotel, Restaurant Management, B.S. Tourism, among others to involve the private stakeholders to teach students, rather than depending mainly on the theories taught by non-tourism-practicing teachers.

"Most teachers in tourism and hospitality courses have not been employed by tourism entities. They're living in the world of theories," said Joseph. (FREEMAN)