MAGNA Prime Chemical Technologies Inc. is inaugurating a school in the first quarter of 2024 to elevate the norms of the local construction industry by preparing and upskilling new professionals, who will then share their acquired knowledge with colleagues.
Located in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, the Buildrite Academy is a halfway house where architecture and engineering graduates who may want to become contractors will be trained on proper ways of waterproofing, tiling, concrete repair and finishing.
“These are the things that they can learn and eventually pass on to their foremen and workers,” Magna Prime CEO and president Derrick A. Tan told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of their product launch event during the opening of PhilConstruct 2023 on November 9.
According to Tan, most architects and engineers may be knowledgeable in structural designs, but they are at a loss when using construction chemicals.
“[We want to be the training ground for them],” the Magna Prime official said. “Right now, our advocacy is to standardize the construction industry. We’re trying to address the skills gap that is happening now.”
This, he said, is a boon for the booming construction sector as shown in the national government’s massive infrastructure projects, as well as the various development undertakings in the private sector.
Based on a Statista report published last August 15, the industry is a major economic contributor, accounting for about 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2022. The number of employees in construction establishments nationwide then stood at 304,240.
Amid headwinds brought about by the Covid-19 health emergency, the construction sector is seen growing in the coming years, as the nation’s economy bounces back postpandemic.
In fact, Statista projects that the revenue of architectural and engineering activities, technical testing and analysis in the Philippines is expected to reach approximately $1.4 billion by 2024.
To entice prospective enrollees, Buildrite Academy trainees will pay only the cost of materials that they will use for the training. Competent civil and technical engineers will be tapped to design the syllabus and conduct the training sessions.
“This is just for training now. We’ll try to see the acceptance first,” Tan explained. “If we think it’s effective, then we can apply for accreditation from Tesda [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority]. Hopefully, we can expand this school to reach out to those in need of proper training.”
