Human capital build-up in the agriculture, forestry, and natural resources (AFNR) is set to receive a major shot in the arm through a new P200-million program on increasing the demand for AFNR professionals.
Human capital build-up in the agriculture, forestry, and natural resources (AFNR) is set to receive a major shot in the arm through a new P200-million program on increasing the demand for AFNR professionals.
The program, to be managed by PCARRD, aims to provide direct science and technology (S&T) interventions to state universities and colleges (SUCs) to increase enrolment in AFNR courses and improve the employability potential of graduates of agriculture and allied fields. This is in response to the general observation on the dwindling number of enrollees in agriculture-related courses in the Philippines.
The three-part component program will involve at least 56 SUCs from the 14 regions of the country. The first component will survey SUCs to understand the factors causing the downtrend in enrolment in AFNR courses and to forecast future supply of and demand for AFNR professionals.
The second component is on institutional capacity enhancement in five key SUCs from the major island groups. The strategies under this component are facilities enhancement and curriculum development and training. Facilities enhancement should directly help bring in more enrollees and give graduates opportunities to gain practical experiences in entrepreneurship. Curriculums related to agribusiness and entrepreneurship will be enhanced to help students gather more practicable skills for setting up and managing agri-based ventures with high S&T content.
The third component will provide seed fund to income-generating projects (IGPs) and technology incubation of select SUCs. The IGPs are potentially viable employers and can serve as on-the-job training venues for AFNR graduates to enhance their skills in entrepreneurship, and to apply and test AFNR technical know-how. The IGPs that will be supported should at the very least show financial viability, high S&T content, and promise of employment-generation for AFNR graduates.
PCARRD packaged the program with the backing of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, Commission on Higher Education, and Department of Science and Technology (DOST). PCARRD will mobilize and involve its National Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Network and its 14 regional R&D Consortia largely based in the SUCs. It will also seek the cooperation of other DOST units, such as the Technology Application and Promotion Institute, and other organizations working for human capital development in the country.