Building Partnerships to Advance EV Workforce Development in the Philippines
These sessions explored the EV (electric vehicle) industry in the Philippines as part of the E-Mobility ASAP Project’s mission to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility for low-carbon city development. Central to the effort of the E-Mobility ASAP Project is the creation of an Electric Vehicle (EV) Human Resource Roadmap to bridge workforce capabilities with industry needs. By engaging stakeholders such as EV manufacturers, suppliers, charging infrastructure developers, fleet operators, academic institutions, and policymakers, the discussions gathered insights to shape training programs, curricula, and policies for electric mobility.
This initiative reflects WDI and Clean Air Asia’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and locally grounded transition to electric mobility. By addressing challenges and opportunities faced by industry players, educators, and regulators, the discussions aimed to strengthen linkages across sectors and established a more coordinated and effective EV workforce development strategy. Below are the key takeaways from the focus group discussions and policy roundtable:
Industry Stakeholders: Strengthening the Policy and Regulatory Environment
The discussions highlighted the need for a more coherent policy framework to accelerate electric mobility. Industry stakeholders highlighted issues such as fragmented permitting systems, inconsistent local government regulations, and the absence of national infrastructure standards. To address these, participants called for the standardization of EV infrastructure policies across local government units (LGUs) and the classification of charging stations similarly to gasoline stations to streamline compliance.
A unified national guideline for charging operations—covering safety protocols, payment systems, and unmanned station regulations—was also proposed. Tax breaks and incentives for local EV assembly were also seen as essential to improving cost-competitiveness and attracting more domestic investment. These recommendations emphasize the importance of regulatory alignment to reduce barriers to entry and encourage broader participation across the value chain.
Industry Stakeholders: Enabling a Local Industry for EV Development
To sustain long-term industry growth, participants identified gaps in skills, supply chains, infrastructure, and consumer readiness. Proposed solutions include establishing TESDA- and CHED-recognized certification tracks for EV technicians, developing co-funded industry-academe training centers, and issuing national-level licenses for installers and service professionals.
To reduce dependency on imported components, stakeholders recommended incentivizing local battery and parts-manufacturing and fostering partnerships between universities and EV startups to scale production and innovation.
On infrastructure, companies urged government co-investment in low-demand areas and support for mobile and cooperative-based charging solutions to reduce risk and broaden access. Finally, to address consumer hesitancy, public education campaigns on EV performance, cost savings, and maintenance—paired with more visible test drives and demonstrations—were recommended. Together, these solutions aim to create the enabling conditions needed for a resilient, homegrown EV industry.
Academe Stakeholders: Bridging the Skills Gap in EV through Industry-Informed Education
Participants from the academe identified a major challenge in developing electric vehicle (EV) programs: the lack of a cohesive, scalable, and industry-informed training curriculum. While universities and technical schools are eager to roll out EV programs, they face limited funding, a shortage of qualified experts, and fragmented government efforts. There is also a disconnect between student awareness and industry needs, with many engineering students unaware or uninterested in EV-related fields. Small EV manufacturers, lacking mass markets, struggle with the cost of upskilling local technicians and meeting accreditation requirements.
To address these gaps, stakeholders proposed a ladderized education system that begins with technical-vocational training and progresses toward higher degrees, co-designed by academe and industry. They called for stronger public-private partnerships, with industry playing a more active role in creating and co-managing training programs, setting competency standards, and informing curricula. Investment in EV training academies, sector-specific approaches, and gender-inclusive campaigns were also proposed to make EV careers more accessible. A whole-of-government approach with aligned standards, integrated labor market planning, and foundational skills support was emphasized to ensure a just and inclusive transition to EV technologies.
Policy Roundtable: Collaborative, Grounded Policymaking for an Efficient EV Workforce Development
The policy roundtable emphasized the need for a more responsive and collaborative EV policymaking that aligns with the pace of innovation and real-world implementation challenges. While agencies like DOTr outlined existing mechanisms for stakeholder engagement, participants stressed that policies must go beyond consultations and should rather be co-created with the private sector, leveraging the first-hand experience of industry actors to design frameworks that are practical, scalable, and grounded in operational insight.
These discussions identified workforce needs, training gaps, and policy directions essential for advancing the country’s EV sector.
Next steps include reviewing existing training programs, developing workforce guidelines, and finalizing strategies for national implementation. This reinforces the commitment of Clean Air Asia, WDI, and their partners to accelerating EV adoption and building a sustainable mobility sector.
