The PUBLIC-PRIVATE startup platform QBO Innovation Hub has joined forces with the US Embassy in the Philippines to boost enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions.
“The U.S. Embassy has launched the 2024 American Spaces Small Grants Program aimed at empowering Filipino youth with the critical 21st-century skills needed for thriving in a rapidly changing digital world,” stated Kevin Punzalan, who serves as the specialist for the American Spaces Program at the embassy.
“Step Juan: Young Technopreneurs in Training,” aims to introduce high school and college students to startup ventures through easily approachable educational pathways focused on entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation.
“Step Juan imagines a future where young Filipinos are encouraged to delve into STEM fields and technopreneurship, with teachers significantly contributing to nurturing inventive minds,” stated Alwyn Joy E. Rosel, who serves as the Executive Director of QBO.
QBO is part of the MVP Group’s startup wing, IdeaSpace Ventures.
In 2020, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies predicted shortfalls in the STEM workforce by 2025, specifically within these fields: life sciences with an estimated shortage of 13,964 roles; engineering facing a gap of around 569,903 jobs; physical sciences needing about 9,689 professionals; and mathematics and statistics requiring approximately 13,285 practitioners.
In its initial phase, the Step Juan initiative will commence at the University of Makati and Maximo Estrella Senior High School. The subsequent cycles for this project will proceed through the rest of the year covering various areas within Metro Manila.
Beatriz Marie D. Cruz