PLDT, Smart’s 20-year partnership with PUP produce industry-ready graduates, creating jobs

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) officially signed another phase of partnership with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) under the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), the first and longest-running industry-academe linkage in the Philippines established in 2003.

“PLDT and Smart remain fully committed to supporting PUP’s efforts in leveraging technology for development through innovative programs. Part of this nearing two-decade partnership also includes our mission to help both students and educators become industry-ready by providing them tools to do so,” said Mario G. Tamayo, SVP and Head of Technology at PLDT and Smart.

“PLDT and Smart aim to reach communities, including groups and sectors outside the academe, through this initiative. SWEEP also offers extension programs that help cultivate a stronger sense of malasakit among its partner schools like PUP,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, Head of the Stakeholder Management Team at PLDT and Smart.

SWEEP, through the PLDT and Smart Technology Innovation Center (TechnoLab), aims to contribute to the academic and professional journey of its partner institutions in the form of equipment, technical training, innovation platforms, immersive experiences, and extension services among its network of 27 colleges and universities all over the country.

“PUP is lucky to be partners with PLDT and Smart through SWEEP. This provides us an opportunity to recalibrate our programs and curriculum to help produce industry-ready alumni. With PLDT and Smart’s help and efforts, we can reinforce development among our students and educators, and help them catch up with the fast-paced nature of technology and innovation,” said Dr. Manuel M. Muhi, President of PUP.

To date, 701 PUP students and faculty members have undergone training from PLDT and Smart, with 24 educators having done immersion in various PLDT and Smart field offices. The partnership has also opened career opportunities for 684 PUP graduates in PLDT and Smart. These were all made possible by the 19-year strong partnership between the two organizations, which will be extended for another five years under this renewed agreement.

This next phase of SWEEP will focus on 5G network technology, Internet of Things (IoT), next generation access and transport, network virtualization, cybersecurity, and data visualization and analytics.

PLDT and Smart highlight the value of industry-academe linkage to the career of tertiary students and industry experts. SWEEP is part of PLDT and Smart’s initiatives that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) #4: Quality Education.