AC holds employers’ summit for planned city college

Councilor Edu Pamintuan welcomes stakeholders and employers of different businesses in the city and from the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) to the summit that discussed the ideal steps that should be taken in formulating the best curriculum programs for the soon-to-rise City College of Angeles.

ANGELES CITY – In anticipation of the soon-to-rise City College of Angeles (CCA), the local government here conducted an ‘Employers Summit’ aimed at determining the needed curricular programs that will be offered to college entrants.

Those who attended the said summit held Wednesday at Fortune Restaurant in Balibago were representatives from local companies in this city and in Pampanga and some business locators and investors from the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ).

These companies are: San Miguel Brewery Inc., SMK Philippines, Inc., Nanox Philippines, L & T International, Fontana, Hotel Stotsenberg, NCO and Sutherland.

Councilor Edu Pamintuan, committee chairman for education of the Angeles City Council , said the summit’s main objective is to discuss several aspects on how to properly manage a city college and prevent eventual job mismatching, which is an alarming employment issue today.

Pamintuan said there is a need to analyze the manpower requirements of each company, their current needs and expected employment programs two, three or four years from now.

"There is really no problem about the availability of job opportunities here in Angeles, specifically among Clark-based companies. There are thousands of job vacancies. However, the problem lies on how we can match our available manpower with the requirements of these job vacancies," the local legislator said.

The city college will offer "market-driven and market-sensitive education courses." “We want to determine the needed educational programs - those that are and will be essential in the hiring programs of the different companies here in Angeles and inside Clark,” Pamintuan explained as he laid down the summit’s objectives. He also said that an advocacy campaign would be imperative for all willing employers.

“This advocacy campaign shall focus in the hiring and training of the graduates of the CCA, relative to the appropriate fields of education.” Pamintuan added.

Dr. Leonardo Canlas, from the Mabalacat Community College, who is now a consultant and adviser for the preparation of courses to be offered at the CCA, said that he is optimistic about the future of the city college given that it will not be constructed for political reasons but for a genuine plan to help the Angeleños.

First District Representative Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin graced the summit. Other city officials who participated in the said summit were city councilors Jericho Aguas , Willie Rivera, and Alex Indiongco, city legal officer Reymon Fabros and secretary to the mayor Leonardo Kirk Galanza. Also present during the event are Dr. Virginia Akiate, Director IV of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-Region III and Benhur Baniqued, provincial director of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)