CHED-6, engineers’ association seek to address course mismatch

By Elsa S. Subong

Wednesday 20th of June 2012

ILOILO CITY, June 20 (PIA) -- The Commission on Higher Education (CHED-6) and an engineers’ association seeks to address course mismatch in tertiary education.

The Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) in Panay has advanced the idea that an undersubscribed course, like Mechanical Engineering, is in demand in the market but has few enrollees.

Both CHED Education Program Specialist Dr. Rex Casiple and PSME-Panay Chapter President Engr. Lemie Leonida were guests in the weekly cable television program “Hangpanay” of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-6).

Casiple said CHED-6 is seeking a balance between education and market to address mismatch, by advocating for courses which are now low in the rank of enrollees in tertiary institutions but are being looked for by employers.

Casiple said there is, for example, the nursing course which has so many enrollees and graduates but have limited employment slots.

He added that lowest enrollees are in the agriculture and fisheries, and engineering courses, but which are “must” courses, for a developing agricultural and industrial country like the Philippines.

“There are so many opportunities in agriculture and fishery, which include even self-employment for enterprising graduates,” Casiple said.

He said they are promoting agricultural courses together with the state universities and colleges in the region, because in the next 10 years, the country will be facing problems in food sufficiency with the lack of technical experts to work on emerging technologies in food production.

On the other hand, Engr. Leonida said her group is advocating for more enrollees in the mechanical engineering course because industrial growth, characterized by power plants and companies’ increasing demand for power supply to operate, need the expertise of mechanical engineers.

“Mechanical Engineers are needed in planning, designs, analysis, estimates and operation of power plants and in infrastructure development in general,” Leonida said.

“They are needed as planners and analysts even in environmental situation, disaster risk reduction and management and in addressing climate change,” she added.

Leonida cited Republic Act No. 8495, signed in 1998, which provides for the practice of mechanical engineers in maintenance, operation of plants and big buildings with power supply of 100 to 300 kilowatts, wherein owners must employ professional and certified mechanical engineers.

“Much more with those operating on 300 to 1000 kilowatts and above, there must be a professional mechanical engineer hired for the job,” Leonida said.

The PSME-Panay has been conducting monitoring of implementation of the law and is conducting dialogues on some violations of establishments with 300 and above power capacity, which do not have professional mechanical engineers.

Casiple, who is also a mechanical engineer, said majority of the companies and power plants, not only in the region but in the Philippines, are violating the law by hiring people who qualify as technicians but not engineers.

“This is probably one reason many of our mechanical engineering graduates are unemployed or underemployed,” Casiple said.

He also added that this is the reason why few students persevere in engineering courses which take five or six years of expert schooling and training.

While both Casiple and Leonida appreciated the technical-vocational courses taken by most students along engineering-related skills, this in some way takes away many chances for enrollment in full engineering courses, and much more employment.

“These tech-voch trained technicians can work along with certified professional mechanical engineers, but not that they are preferred, even if establishments need the services of the latter,” Leonida said.

“Building owners and power plant management, including even hospitals and hotels, should realize that disasters often occur for lack of skilled and professional engineers handling their operations,” she added.

Meanwhile in recent media interviews, Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Aquino has directed the Department of Labor and Employment and the TESDA to study how to avoid job mismatch.

Valte also said the government is advising students as they enter college to take up viable courses which have ample job opportunities.

She also said the government is working on providing employment that fits the skills and qualifications of professionals, including engineers, so that underemployment will be addressed.

The CHED and the PSME said that it will be worthwhile for government legislators to look at RA 8495 on the practice of mechanical engineers in the country so that the violations can be properly addressed.

“This way, we can encourage students to enroll in engineering courses, and contribute much in national development as professionals,” Casiple said. (JCM/ESS-PIA6 Iloilo)