The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has introduced a five-year plan to enhance the global competitiveness of Philippine higher education. This initiative, called the US-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning program, was announced by Presidents Joseph Biden and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during Marcos's visit to the White House in May 2023.
The program, known as Upskill, aims to make Philippine higher education more competitive by strengthening innovation, workforce development, and entrepreneurship. It brings together US universities, Philippine government agencies, and private sector partners. The focus is on improving faculty and staff training, curriculum enhancements, community outreach, and technology transfer to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education institutions. This will benefit Filipino graduates by enhancing their qualifications and career prospects to meet the changing workforce needs, while also fostering stronger connections between US and Philippine universities.
The initiative is led by RTI International, in collaboration with a consortium of US universities like Arizona State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Philippine partners, including Edukasyon.ph and the Philippine Business for Education, are also involved. During the launch at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for East Asia and the Pacific Sara Borodin emphasized the importance of college training and education in addressing the challenges and opportunities young people face in the workplace today.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro expressed that the partnership with USAID will provide unique opportunities for colleges and universities to innovate in response to the aspirations of the Philippines and its students. She highlighted the value of internationally recognized training, cooperative research, and lifelong learning modalities offered by Philippine higher education.
Various government agencies, including CHEd, the Second Congressional Education Commission, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), along with representatives from several Philippine universities, attended the program launch.
