SM Foundation, TESDA partner to support workforce development

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(From left) Frederic C. DyBuncio, president and CEO of SM Investments; Carmen Linda Atayde, executive director for education of SM Foundation; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez; TESDA Deputy Director General for TVET Partnership and Community-Based TVET Nelly Dillera

SM FOUNDATION, Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM Group, has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help enhance Filipino workers’ skills and expand access to employment opportunities.

Under the partnership, TESDA learners and graduates will be linked to various career opportunities within the SM Group, covering industries such as construction, food and beverage, hospitality, logistics, and others, SM Foundation said in an e-mail statement over the weekend.

The initiative is aligned with the SM Job Opportunities Building Skills advocacy, which aims to establish industry-responsive training standards and curricula, and implement skills training and enterprise-based education programs.

SM Foundation and TESDA recently signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize the partnership.

“We strongly believe that our continued growth as a business is deeply connected to the development of the people we serve and partner with. That’s why this partnership is important to us,” SMIC President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said.

“We know it’s not always easy, especially in industries where finding qualified talent is a challenge, but it is exactly through collaborations like this that we can help build and strengthen our future workforce,” he added.

The agreement will also support job matching efforts through SM job fairs and other employment programs.

“This partnership is for our future, current trainees, employers, and industry leaders. May this endeavor bring us closer to a nation where every Filipino has the skills, tools, and opportunity to succeed,” Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” B. Benitez, director general of TESDA, said.

SM Foundation said the collaboration builds on its existing efforts to support upskilling and employment facilitation in coordination with other partners.

On May 1, in celebration of Labor Day, SM Supermalls hosted 20 job fairs across its malls nationwide, connecting around 15,000 job seekers with approximately 1,000 employers. The events resulted in over 2,000 individuals being hired on the spot.

Asia Pacific College, an SM-affiliated institution, is also conducting upskilling sessions in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. The programs cover artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentals and business applications, as well as data analytics and AI maturity. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave