Filipino students urged to pursue entrepreneurship

STUDENTS should learn from industry experts and strive to become entrepreneurs themselves, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

Youthpreneur, a joint project of DepEd and Go Negosyo, a nonstock and nonprofit organization of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, encourages students to become entrepreneurs through mentorship.

“I hope you realize what a big opportunity this is for you, dear students, because not all of you can have the opportunity to interact personally with very successful businessmen,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in a statement at the weekend.

The Youthpreneur program aims to build the skills of the younger generation through mentorship focused on financial literacy, agricultural awareness, entrepreneurial agriculture and facilitating industry connections, according to its website.

The group has mentored 2,952 micro, small and medium enterprises  and aspiring entrepreneurs. It has also conducted seven Youthpreneur events since its launch in November 2023.

The program aims to offer entrepreneurship to the youth as an alternative path away from traditional employment.

“It will be part of the job immersion of our students in line with President Marcos’ instruction to have our graduates job-ready, even if they are just in senior high school,” Mr. Angara said in Filipino.

The Education chief, a former senator, is one of the authors of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or K-12 Program, which seeks to “create a functional basic education system that will develop productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies, skills and values for both lifelong learning and employment.”

Last month, he said his agency was reviewing the senior high school curriculum to help students focus more on work immersion instead of other subjects.

“If we reduce the subjects of our senior high school curriculum, the students will have more time for the on-the-job training or work immersion needed by the industry,” Mr. Angara said in a statement.

“Our senior high school graduates will become more employable even if they lack work experience,” he added. — Almira Louise S. Martinez