SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Department of Education has launched new guidelines and a centralized digital dashboard aimed at strengthening and monitoring workplace experience for senior high school students nationwide.

Unveiled recently at the SMX Convention Center in Olongapo City, the initiative sets uniform standards for Work Immersion while allowing DepEd to track student placements, industry partnerships and curriculum alignment in real time.

Under the guidelines, students will undergo 30 hours of off-campus workplace exposure per week, while those in arts programs will complete 160 hours of apprenticeship across three terms.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Janir T. Datukan said the reforms are intended to ensure that work immersion provides students with meaningful workplace experience rather than merely fulfilling academic requirements.

“For too long, work immersion meant paperwork and sign-offs. Now it means real learning, in real workplaces, with real mentors. We are not just counting hours — we are building careers,” Datukan said.

He said DepEd is targeting 50,000 verified work opportunities nationwide that will be matched with students based on their respective tracks.

“Every student deserves a fair shot. This dashboard will show exactly where opportunities exist — and where gaps remain. No more hidden placements. No more empty promises,” Datukan said.

Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. highlighted the city’s role as a hub for Technical-Vocational-Livelihood training, supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Industry partners, meanwhile, encouraged more businesses to accommodate senior high school students, saying stronger private-sector participation could help bridge the gap between classroom instruction and employment.