Collab with Meralco academy makes MSU grads workforce-ready

Students of Mindanao State University-General Santos (MSU-GenSan) are getting specialized training and industry immersion under an agreement with Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Meralco Power Academy (MPA) to develop the country’s future energy experts.

Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer and MPA president Ronnie L. Aperocho and MSU-GenSan chancellor Shidik T. Abantas signed the memorandum of agreement (MoA) at Meralco’s headquarters in Pasig City.

The MoA will also see the holding of the Mindanao leg of the Young Engineers and Scientists Summit and the development of advanced academic programs in renewable energy and nuclear science.

Abantas emphasized the importance of aligning academic programs with industry needs to better prepare students for their professional careers.

“This collaboration is vital for MSU-General Santos as it bridges our colleges with industry, helping prevent skill mismatches. Moving forward, we aim to involve industry partners in shaping our curriculum to ensure our graduates are truly workforce ready,” he said.

The latest collaboration with MSU-Gensan follows a similar partnership between MPA and MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), through which the two schools aim to ensure that students are equipped with the practical skills and knowledge required to thrive in the energy sector.

For MPA, an educational partner of Meralco and the leading energy education provider in the ASEAN region that focuses on knowledge-sharing and collaboration in global energy innovation, the MOA is part of a broader mission to empower aspiring engineers and scientists with the expertise to succeed in the evolving energy landscape.

Recognizing the strong track record of MSU in producing top-tier electrical professionals, MPA sees great value in deepening its collaboration with the university.

“This collaboration is especially meaningful as it focuses on areas like AI and energy, which are fields that align perfectly with our vision for Meralco Power Academy to become a center of excellence in these domains. We see great potential for impactful collaboration with MSU-GenSan in these critical areas,” Aperocho said.