Framework for ASEAN 2015: A Roadmap for Schools John Addy S. Garcia, PhD De La Salle University
ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY 2015 ASEAN Economic Community 10 countries, single regional economic market by 2015 One Community Regional Cooperation Working together rather than competing with each other Strong emerging market of 600M people Free flow of goods, services, investment capital and skilled labor Professional mobility Free Trade
ASEAN 2015 Benefits (Runckel, 2012) Brunei Thailand Singapore Vietnam ASEAN ECOMIC COMMUNITY 2015 Cambodia Indonesia Laos BENEFITS regional cooperation improve efficiency more attractive than individual countries emerging market focusing on SMEs tourism opportunity internationalization of health care Philippines Malaysia Myanmar
Competitiveness Assessment and Roadmap Action Agenda National Consultation Workshop on a Competitive Philippines in ASEAN 2015 (DOST/NCRP) POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR PHILIPPINE COMPETITIVENESS Professional Competitiveness (PRC) Roadmap Action Agenda
ASEAN 2015 and Philippine Schools Opportunities for growth Challenges of competitiveness
Roadmap to 2015 Inter-country agreements Philippine policy initiatives and reforms Education Sector action Competitiveness of Filipino Professionals (PRC initiative) Competitiveness of graduates of Philippine Educational Institutions
Keypoints (condensed from Drake-Brockman, 2012) Global Competitiveness of the Philippines Philippine Professionals and Global Market ASEAN Economic Community 2015 Assessing Competitiveness Assessing Competitiveness among Filipino Professionals Competitiveness Issues Facing Selected Professions: Engineering, Accountancy, Nursing Competitiveness Roadmap
Government Academe Professional Competitiveness Private Sector Professionals
Global Competitiveness of the Philippines Key Directions (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Promote export of services Comply with bilateral, regional, and international commitments to facilitate inflow of foreign services and services providers (inbound/outbound) Priority Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) - ASEAN Implications/Action Awareness of key priorities of the profession and the government Strengthen linkages with government regulatory bodies and professional organizations
Philippine Professionals and Global Market Key Directions (Drake-Brockman, 2012) PRC highlights the need for more data-driven and evidence-based assessment of the global competitiveness of Filipino professionals Implications/Action Curricular reform responsive to global competitiveness assessment
ASEAN Economic Community 2015 Key Directions (Drake-Brockman, 2012) 10-country integrated economy by 2015 Trade (customs modernization standard and conformity and services liberalization), investments, agriculture, consumer protection, and ratification of transportation agreements. Implications/Action Looking at ASEAN as a market (e.g., international student enrollment, employment opportunities for graduates)
ASEAN Economic Community 2015 ASEAN FTA ASEAN+6 ASEAN-China ASEAN-Japan ASEAN-Korea ASEAN-Australia and New Zealand ASEAN-India Implications Looking beyond OECD, Middle East, and US Aligning with ASEAN+6 standards and market demands Establishing linkages with ASEAN+6 Education and Industry Partners
Assessing Competitiveness of the Services Sector Key Points (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Services play a vital role in national growth, development, and job creation Accounts for 50% of economic activity, and employment Growth in services sector is positively correlated with developing countries transition to middle income status
Assessing Competitiveness Among Filipino Professionals Key Directions (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Implications/Action To know where the strengths and weaknesses of the professions Where and how international business opportunities might be maximized How defensive their international posture needs to be and why Parallel assessment of quality of graduates vis-avis (local, national, regional, international) competitors
Assessing Competitiveness Among Filipino Professionals Key directions (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Implications To know What needs to be done to get the Philippine domestic house in order fast (including the tertiary education system) Implement CHED, PRC guidelines Conduct competitiveness assessment of graduates (tracer studies, exit interviews, industry FGDs)
Factors affecting Services competitiveness (Drake-Brockman, 2012) 1. Endowments, human capital (talent, education, skills, ideas, culture of customer focus) 2. Investment in intangible assets 3. Enabling digital infrastructure 4. Quality of institutions 5. Efficiency of domestic regulation 6. Connectedness with the International Market 7. Services business stakeholder consultation 8. Policy focus
Factors affecting Services competitiveness Key Points (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Services are more skillsintensive than other sector Creating environment for nurturing talent, skills and ideas are critical in attracting international work Relies heavily on innovation Implications/action Developing global mindset among graduates Curricular programs responsive to both local and international demands Focusing on developing core competencies (talents, skills, ideas) Emphasizing innovation
Factors affecting Services competitiveness (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Local Competitiveness Whether supply of skills is sufficient, relative to demand Getting the balance between ensuring high professional standards and meeting market demand Whether new professional skill set is becoming necessary International Competiveness Whether local professionals can attract foreign clients and what level of value-add services Whether Philippine professional offer professional value for money, and in what categories of practice
Competitiveness in simple terms (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Professional Competitiveness as a function of Numbers Quality Quality assurance Practice Continuing education
Competitiveness Assessment Criteria (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Market conditions and trends Skill shortages can suggest graduates are in-demand, hence competitive Core competency standards Technical standards above or at par with regional best practice Quality assurance Strong international confidence in domestic regulatory systems Salary/fee expectations Prices not higher than regional average Language skills and personal attributes International clients are attracted by communication skills, flexibility, adaptability, and initiative
PRC Professional Services Competitiveness Assessment (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Engineering (Civil, Geodetic, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, & Electronic) Architecture Accountancy Medicine Dentistry Nursing
Competitiveness Assessment: Engineering
Competitiveness Issues: Engineering Competency At par or higher than most ASEAN economies Top markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Less informed about: Indonesia and Thailand Significantly under informed: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam CPE not mandatory Quality Assurance Not yet outcomes-based education compliant Not yet a signatory to the Washington Accord No Philippine engineers listed among the ASEAN Registered Engineers
Competitiveness Issues: Engineering Personal Attributes Competitive in Englishspeaking markets Has reputation for being highly flexible, fast learners, multi-taskers, able to fit-in in any team (including supervisory levels) Can rise to meet workplace challenges International Value for Money Salary and fee-level expectations at the low end of the ASEAN-6 market Competitive edge in high value ASEAN market (Singapore and Malaysia)
Competitiveness Issues: Engineering Domestic and International Skills Shortages Local skills shortage, in both rural and urban areas Engineering faculty skills shortage Varying degree of awareness of competitiveness among professionals Engineering competitiveness suffers due to absence of: Well-equipped university laboratories Strong R&D environment and of any articulated policy on innovation Limitations on foreign equity
Competitiveness Assessment: Accountancy
Competitiveness Issues: Accountancy Competency High competency standards Adopts international standards High marketable profession; popular college course Not threatened by foreign professionals Entry into international job markets PRB upgrading standards of accountancy teachers External accreditation of accountancy schools
Competitiveness Issues: Accountancy Quality Assurance not yet compliant IFAC obligations initiatives to develop and improve local quality assurance systems in the profession Adoption of international standards and code of ethics Personal attributes Familiarity with US, British, and Japanese system Regional hub for talent development Lack of skills to market the profession internationally
Competitiveness Issues: Accountancy Skills shortages Skills shortages in the provinces Underemployment High staff turnover affected by accreditation, workload, and seasonal availability of temporary staff Employment in BPO sector, but at lower levels Emerging employment in Knowledge-Process Outsourcing (KPO) Value for Money Salary and fee level expectation are competitive across ASEAN
Competitiveness Assessment: Nursing
Competitiveness Issues: Nursing Skills shortages High local unemployment and underemployment Overseas employment due to Migration and not Trade Limited preferred destinations Limited overseas employment due to depressed global economic climate Large ageing population in OECD countries provides high medium term work opportunities Lack of local funding to hire more nurses in hospitals Lack of nursing teachers Inclusion of employment for nurses in trade agreements with ASEAN, Japan and Australia
Competitiveness Issues: Nursing Value for Money Reluctant to go to lower wage destinations or alternative markets Few work at an entrepreneurial level Personal attributes Uninterested in management positions in offshore markets Monetary consideration had negative impact on the perception of the profession
Competitiveness Issues: Nursing Competency and Quality Assurance Updated curriculum Credentialing programme for career pathways Amendment of law Nursing board actively monitored quality of nursing education, closed 80+ substandard schools
Competitiveness Roadmap (Garelli, 2011) an attempt to describe and assess the main issues that will affect the world competitiveness landscape over a specific time period subjective assessment which aims to bring some coherence to the multitude of issues that are said to be having an impact sooner or later on the competitiveness landscape
Competitiveness Roadmaps PRC mandated all regulatory boards to prepare and disseminate competitiveness roadmaps for all regulated professions Competitiveness Goals Action Agenda Current State
Competitiveness Roadmaps for Schools Is it important and practical for HEIs to conduct and disseminate competitiveness roadmaps, similar to what PRC requires from regulated professions? Action Agenda Competitiveness Goals Current State
Competitiveness Assessment and Roadmap Action Agenda National Consultation Workshop on a Competitive Philippines in ASEAN 2015 (DOST/NCRP) POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR PHILIPPINE COMPETITIVENESS Professional Competitiveness (PRC, APO, CHED, HEIs) Roadmap Action Agenda
Roadmap action agenda (Drake-Brockman, 2012) Action Agenda for the Profession Education and Skills Issue R&D Innovation, Knowledge-Infrastructure Policy and Regulatory Focus Action Agenda to prepare Professionals Promoting and Facilitating PHL capability globally and regionally Investment Climate & Trade Issues
Roadmap Action Agenda How to boost the availability and expertise of the professional practitioners to ensure they are positioned to take advantage of regional and global business opportunities? How can QA frameworks be established? Which workforce issues should be addressed? (Drake-Brockman, 2012)
Roadmap Action Agenda What could be done to boost the ability of PHL professional services sector to increasingly improve productivity through innovation? How could a higher level of collaboration be encouraged between the private sector, academia, and government agencies? (Drake-Brockman, 2012)
Roadmap Action Agenda Is a higher level of support needed from the policy or other regulatory institutions to help improve the profession s access to global or regional opportunities? (Drake-Brockman, 2012)
Roadmap Action Agenda What might be done to improve the profession s branding either domestically or internationally? (Drake-Brockman, 2012)
Road Map Action Agenda Funding and investment Implementation of ASEAN MRAs (Drake-Brockman, 2012)
Government Academe Professional Competitiveness Private Sector Professionals
Discussion Points To what extent will the University initiate, participate, or contribute to the challenge of preparing globally competitive graduates/professionals? What action agenda can be taken in relation to: Assessment of competitiveness of graduates Professional education Advocacy for quality assurance Promotion of innovation Addressing the challenges of global competitiveness?
References Department of Science and Technology, Republic of the Philippines. (2011). Consultation/Workshop on a competitive Philippines in ASEAN 2015. Drake-Brockman, J. (2012). Rapid Assessment Report on the Competitiveness of Regulated Professions Covered by the ASEAN MRAs. Professional Regulation Commission: Manila, Philippines Garelli, S. (2011). The competitiveness roadmap: 2011-2050 (The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2011). Retrieved from http://www.imd.org/research/publications/wcy/upload/roadmap Print_A4.pdf Runckel, C.W. (2012). Asia opportunities: ASEAN Economic Community 2015. Retrieved from http://www.business-inasia.com/asia/asean_economic_community.html