MANILA — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Education (DepEd), and Thames International School Inc. have signed an agreement to offer and implement an e-commerce track for senior high school (SHS) students.
According to Philippines News Agency, DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, and Thames International co-founder and president Jaime Noel Santos, who signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Makati City on Thursday, this initiative aims to build and strengthen the country's talent pool in e-commerce. "A dedicated e-commerce track in senior high school is a strategic step toward creating a future-ready workforce. We need to prepare our workforce for the emerging industry, which is digital and AI-driven," Pascual said. He added that the track will provide students with technical skills needed for the growing e-commerce industry, which supports the Philippine economy.
Pascual emphasized that the new track will prepare students to be "job creators and innovators" as e-commerce opens new ways of doing business. "The President's emphasis on a future-ready education system is our guiding light. This partnership is a concrete step towards achieving this vision. Together, we will build a robust e-commerce ecosystem that drives economic growth, empowers our youth, and propels Bagong Pilipinas onto the global digital stage," he said.
Santos noted that the MOA targets enrolling 1,000 students in the first year of implementation of the e-commerce track and aims to increase this number to 50,000 SHS students within three to four years.