MANILA - More international partnerships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs are expected for the country's higher education institutions (HEIs) as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) vows to pursue global linkages. During the Laging Handa public briefing Thursday, CHED chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III said this is part of the Marcos administration's goal to prepare the country's STEM graduates with competitive capabilities. "Tinutulungan ng CHED na mag-link with the universities in other countries on these programs para masiguro na ang utos ng Pangulo ay magkakaroon o magbubunga sa ating mga programa sa ating universities (The CHED is helping in forming linkages with universities in other countries to fulfill the President's [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.] order on these programs to be fruitful)," he said. He added memorandum of agreements (MOA) on this initiative were already signed while more are lined up until the scheduled international conference in Canada by November. De Vera bared this after he witnessed the MOA signing between the Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PhilSCA) and the World Citi Colleges (WCC), in partnership with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) on June 27. Under the MOA, aspiring aircraft maintenance specialists and avionics technicians are expected to enjoy opportunities of studying, training and gaining credentials both in the Philippines and Canada. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the British Columbia Council International Education Week 2023 Conference in Victoria, BC, Canada. Nursing program De Vera disclosed the progress of inter-agency plans to improve the curriculum and opportunities for nursing students in the country. He underscored the government's short-, medium-, and long-term solutions. As an immediate resolve, De Vera said nursing graduates who failed to pass the licensure examinations may be aided to have access to competitive review classes. He cited the planned launching of an agreement with the Department of Health (DOH) to assist nursing graduates employed as assistants in the government and private hospitals. Funding for the review classes shall be studied by the CHED, DOH and private hospitals. De Vera said there is also a need to create a certificate or diploma program to produce healthcare associates or assistants in the country. "Iyan 'yung medium term (solutions) para maka-produce tayo ng suporta sa mga nurses na hindi ka na maghihintay ng limang taon -isang taon, dalawang taon mayroon nang mapu-produce na ganiyang programa (that's the medium-term plan to produce support to nurses wherein you will no longer wait for another five years. In a year or two, such program may be produced)," he said. Healthcare associates may function as support to licensed nurses in terms of basic assessments, including temperature checking, recording and monitoring of patients' blood pressure, and preparation of rooms, among others, he added. De Vera further said the lifting of the CHED's moratorium on new nursing programs since 2011 would significantly impact on the long-term situation in the country. With the lifting of the ban, 3,000 additional nursing graduates are expected to be produced in five to six years' time, he said. To date, around 55 universities in the country have applied to CHED for the reopening of nursing programs. (PNA)

Source: Philippines News Agency