CHED, IBM to introduce analytics track to business, IT students

MANILA, Philippines - Information technology and business administration students will now have the option to specialize on a business analytics track following the agreement between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and multinational technology and consulting company IBM Corp.

Considering the growing demands of the local and international business landscapes, CHED and IBM agreed to cooperate in offering students business analytics, estimated to become a $160-billion industry by 2015.

Business analytics is mainly concerned with addressing market uncertainty, complexity, volatility and revenue growth.

Technology research firm Gartner said big data demand will reach 4.4 million jobs globally by 2015 but only one-third of those jobs will be filled due to a shortage of trained skilled professionals.

"Recognizing the impending global talent shortage, CHED and IBM, in collaboration with other key higher education stakeholders sought to address this challenge that we face as a country. These newly approved specialization tracks on business analytic for (information technology education) and (business administration) programs bring us a step closer to preparing our nation to capture and lead in this big global analytics market opportunity. We are elated and encouraged that several top notch higher education institutions have already signed up  and have committed to implement these analytics electives this coming school year,” CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan said.

The Commission and IBM inked a deal December last year in developing a business analytics education master plan which will help higher education institutions in the Philippines in leading the burgeoning industry.

"IBM and CHED’s vision of a comprehensive education master plan to help capture the huge global potential of the analytics market, took shape in September 2012 when an international team of IBM volunteers worked with the Commission under the IBM Corporate Service Corps program. At the end of the month-long assignment, the team provided recommendations to CHED, identifying ways to position the Philippines as an analytics education and technology hub for the region," CHED said.

Schools including the University of the Philippines Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Asia Pacific College, University of Santo Tomas, College of St. Benilde, Universidad de Manila, Jose Rizal University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Batangas State University, Republic Central Colleges and Araullo University have expressed commitment to implement the new curriculum this coming school year, CHED said.

“Data is quickly becoming the most important natural resource in the world, and companies who have talent with the best skills to help them take advantage of Big Data will have a more promising future. With the right academic development and professional training, the Philippines has the potential to be a leading incubator for advanced business analytics talent globally,” said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, president and country general manager of IBM Philippines.

She added that the Philippines is the first country in the world to declare analytics as a profession.