Australia, PH eye deal on vocational education, training for Filipinos

MANILA – Australia and the Philippines are looking to finalize a deal that would expand cooperation on vocational education and training opportunities for Filipino nationals.

Visiting Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite, on Wednesday said the agreement will come in the form of a memorandum of understanding between the South Australian government and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Thistlethwaite made the confirmation as he leads 25 Australian education providers for the 5th Southeast Asia Business Exchange transnational education and upskilling mission to the Philippines on March 18.

“[Y]our government has recognized that they do need to upskill the population and they're willing to partner with international institutions like Australian universities and vocational education providers to deliver that outcome,” he said.

“Your government has done a good thing in inquiring into the industry and putting together a policy roadmap. It's now up to us to work with the Filipino people and the government to deliver that roadmap,” he added.

The official said Canberra is currently focused on enhancing cooperation on education with Manila as it seeks to attract more Southeast Asian nationals to study in Australia.

Under its 2040 Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, investment on education and capacity building through technical assistance are on top of Australia’s priorities in the region.

But beyond education offerings, Thistlethwaite said Australia’s workforce shortages could also offer a “wealth of opportunities" to Filipinos.

“Australia doesn't have such a young population unfortunately, ours is an ageing population which means that we're not replacing the same number of workers in the workforce who are leaving our workforce,” he said.

On top of promoting Australian offerings, Thistlethwaite’s Philippine visit also sought to assess increased trade and investment potential in the areas of renewable energy, digital economy, infrastructure, and agriculture, among others. (PNA)