The Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Thames International on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement to equip Senior High School students with essential industry skills.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership since championing opportunities for Filipino learners is one of the marching orders of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

"I'm really really happy today. Nabanggit nga ni [Jaime Noel J. Santos, Co-Founder and President of Thames International] na isa ito sa pangunahing utos ng ating mahal na Pangulo na bigyan natin ng trabaho, bigyan natin ng pag-asa ang ating mga kabataan. At bago natin sila mabibigyan ng trabaho, kailangan natin bigyan sila ng karanasan,” Angara said.

Angara also emphasized the government’s commitment to providing Filipino learners with opportunities for employment and growth.

“We commend Secretary Sonny Angara for his visionary leadership in education, making this project one of his priority programs early in his tenure. His support for digital skills development aligns perfectly with our goals,” DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual said.

Thames International, a pioneer in e-commerce education, has developed a specialized Senior High School curriculum piloted in 15 schools in the National Capital Region.

The program will be rolled out nationwide in phases, starting with NCR, Regions III, and IV-A, followed by Regions VII and XII, and eventually covering the entire country.

“This project was three years in the making. We started this in the pandemic based on a demand and supply philosophy. The e-commerce industry was growing so fast, and there was a lack of manpower,” Santos said.

Unlike traditional academic tracks such as Accountancy, Business and Management or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, the new program will provide students with hands-on experience and industry exposure, Santos added.