In the fast-paced world of technology, the electronics industry is caught in a perpetual conundrum. Despite the influx of fresh graduates, there remains a glaring disparity between their skills and the demands of semiconductor and electronics firms.

Thus, said Dr. Dan Lachica, president of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc., or SEIPI, in Wednesday's interview on DAILY TRIBUNE's digital show Straight Talk.

"It is not a secret. Not just in the electronics industry but in other industries where college graduates nowadays don't have all the skills that companies need. They usually need to be trained in the skills that are essential for the success of the company or for them (graduates) to function well in the company," Lachica said.

He said that when he took over as SEIPI president 11 years ago, he and his group gave their inputs to the appropriate government agencies on how to avert or resolve the enduring problem.

"Since the clamor of industries is the need for more intensive skills for bachelor's degree graduates, SEIPI had a workforce to identify the subjects that needed to be strengthened and the technical skills that needed to be enhanced. We submitted the input to "this" government agency. It is 11 years now, and nothing has happened. That is why we still face that challenge today," he said.

SEIPI is the largest organization of foreign and Filipino electronics companies in the Philippines, aiming to make the country a globally competitive business environment for semiconductor and electronics technologies using Training, Research and Development/Roadmap, Advocacy, Information, Networking and Services.

Aside from semiconductor and electronics firms, Lachica said there are more than 40 50 colleges, universities, and training institutions included in the roster of their members being part of the supply chain and the supplier of the industry's talents.

Asked how many years fresh graduates take to be upskilled, Lachica said, "One to two years."

Bridging the gap

To contribute to the needed change, Lachica, who also sits as Chief of Party of Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Alliance or AMDev, said it sealed a memorandum of understanding with the United States Agency for International Development, the Unilab Foundation, and the Department of Trade and Industry to implement a five-year program designed to upskill and reskill the men and women in the manufacturing workforce, to make them Industry 4.0 ready.