The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines hosted the highly anticipated AmCham 2025 Talent Summit, uniting top minds from the private sector, government, and the academe under the theme: “Reskilling and Upskilling for a Technology-Driven Workforce.” This year’s summit served as a dynamic forum to confront one of the most pressing challenges of our time — preparing the Filipino workforce for the demands of an AI-integrated, rapidly digitizing global economy.
The event drew an impressive lineup of CEOs, CHROs, C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, all aligned on the mission to drive innovation through strategic talent development.
Among the summit’s standout segments was Panel Session 3: Redesigning Talent Pipelines: The Services and IT-BPO Lens, a fireside chat exploring crucial challenges and actionable solutions to upskill the workforce in the tech-driven services sector.
Driving Workforce Readiness in Services and IT-BPO
Moderated by Grace Sorongon, Human Capital and Resources Committee Chair at AmCham Philippines, the session gathered a distinguished panel of experts:
- Patrick Patriwirawan Jr., Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
- Albert Villagracia, VP-HR, Reed Elsevier
- Consuelo Monasterio, Former President, SM Retail
- Janet Serrano, HR Director for Talent Acquisition, Emerson
- Zoe Diaz De Rivera, Talent Attraction Lead, IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP)
Tackling Talent Gaps in IT and Services
Panelists agreed that the Services and IT-BPO sectors are grappling with significant talent shortages. Zoe Diaz De Rivera emphasized IBPAP’s ongoing efforts to “move the needle” by leveraging technology and catching up with fast-evolving global competitors such as Vietnam.
ASec. Patriwirawan cited DOLE’s initiatives in labor market monitoring, curriculum reform, and real-time job vacancy tracking to align workforce capabilities with industry demands. Albert Villagracia highlighted a 30% surge in tech role demand within five years, pushing companies like Reed Elsevier to adopt internal mobility and mandatory AI training.
For Emerson, Janet Serrano stressed the need for partnerships with tech incubators and the importance of avoiding overwhelming job postings, while Consuelo Monasterio of SM Retail discussed the generational shift in workforce expectations, particularly Gen Z’s demand for hybrid work, and the rising costs of talent acquisition.
Challenges in Developing Tech-Ready Talent
Addressing the structural challenges, Zoe Diaz De Rivera pointed to the slow pace of curriculum change and limited budgets. IBPAP combats this by promoting faculty immersion and tours in partner companies.
Albert Villagracia advocated for building a safe space for change, encouraging AI adoption responsibly, and internal mobility through what he creatively called a “stem cell” approach to workforce growth.
Janet Serrano and Consuelo Monasterio both underlined the need for agile internal mobility, with SM Retail making job vacancies visible across departments to allow movement and growth.
Adapting to AI-Driven Workplaces
The panel acknowledged that the transition to AI presents both opportunities and systemic challenges. While DOLE is still reliant on manual systems, Albert Villagracia shared how Reed Elsevier is proactively crafting guardrails for ethical AI use and measuring its impact through employee feedback.
Janet Serrano noted that Emerson enrolled its recruiters in AI training and incentivized AI learning, recognizing the transformative role AI can play in improving talent acquisition.
Zoe Diaz De Rivera pointed out that while tools like ChatGPT are accessible, guidelines are in place to avoid breaches in data privacy, interestingly adding that senior citizens have shown a keen interest in using AI tools.
Insights That Shaped the Conversation
The panel reinforced the pressing need for reskilling, as the Philippines strives to keep pace with global talent demands in the Services and IT-BPO sectors. Cross-sector collaboration emerged as a game-changer, with government, industry, and academe working together to align education with real-world needs. Responsible AI integration was another central theme, emphasizing the importance of ethical, secure, and practical use of emerging technologies. Finally, the ability to adapt — through internal mobility, faculty immersion, and innovative workforce strategies — was seen as vital for staying competitive in an AI-powered future.
The AmCham 2025 Talent Summit is a powerful reminder that the future of work is here, and only through continuous collaboration, innovation, and education can we shape a workforce ready to meet it head-on.
Ready to Reskill Your Workforce?
Stay ahead in the tech-driven economy. As highlighted in the AmCham 2025 Talent Summit, future-ready talent strategies are critical. John Clements Consultants can help you implement smart and scalable reskilling solutions tailored to your industry needs.
Contact us today to start building your tech-ready team.
