The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) is calling for “greater” private sector participation in training not only their own people but also potential employees to minimize the job-skills gap in the country.
This, PBEd said, after the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) released a situational report underscoring the “worsening” learning crisis, with students graduating lacking the basic skills, soft skills included, noting these are “vital” in joining the workforce in the country.
“We call on greater collaboration among all education stakeholders in the government, industry, and academe, to make intentional and concerted efforts to equip graduates with competencies needed to succeed in the global economy,” the advocacy group said in a statement issued on Thursday.
At the same time, PBEd said the ongoing review of the education system by the Second Congressional Commission on Education is expected to play a huge role in improving the quality of learning the students are getting prior to entering the workplace.
The industry-led advocacy group also emphasized that the government must work closely with the private sector in order to come up with “scalable policies and programs geared towards building a generation of Filipinos with higher learning outcomes that shall increase their chances towards gainful employment.”
PBEd earlier said it would continue to push for the strengthening and making skills training more “accessible” to boost youth employment in the country.
“Work-based training is an important intervention to ensure job readiness among the youth as it paves the way for the youth to acquire relevant skills needed in the workplace,” PBEd said.
In a statement issued last March, the industry-led advocacy group divulged that it is pushing for “institutionalization” of the work-based training model through YouthWorks PH, a private sector driven skills training program for unemployed and out-of-school youth.
The program provides access to free online mentoring, technical-vocational learning and work-based training provided by industry partners, PBEd said. With this model, it said, 57 percent of youth graduates were immediately hired after training, and 83 percent were no longer considered youth not in education, employment, or training.
In 2020,PBEd announced that around 5,000 unemployed and out-of-school youth would benefit from skills training courtesy of YouthWorks PH employment project implemented by PBEd in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Golden Arches Development Corp. (McDonald’s Philippines).
Under the agreement with McDonald’s Philippines, youth aged 18 to 24 who are not having education, employment, or training will undergo skills training in YouthWorks PH partner institutions and at branches of McDonald’s Philippines, the project’s single largest private-sector partner.
‘Pandemic generation’ graduates
AT the House, the chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment on Thursday vowed to conduct an inquiry into the jobs situation faced by fresh college graduates.
Rizal Fourth District Rep. Fidel Nograles in a statement expressed concern over the results of a report concerning graduates of the “pandemic generation.”
“The results of the report, while expected, are troubling, and we in government should actively work to address the gaps that have been identified,” he said.
A recent situational report by the CHR, he said, found that fresh graduates are finding it more difficult to find employment due to the lack of “soft skills” and practical job skills that could have been honed in face-to-face classes.
The CHR’s findings were taken from various focus group discussions with officials of the national government, prospective employers, schoolteachers, administrators and principals, and the youth.
Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
