DoLE tapping private sector to solve job mismatch

Citing the recent State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) of President Benigno Aquino III, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it plans to tap the private sector to solve job mismatch, unemployment, and graft and corruption.

”Like what the President said (in his SoNA), the Department of Labor and Employment would further strengthen its partnership with the government, Baldoz said during a press briefing before the weekend at the DoLE building in Intramuros, Manila.

President Aquino earlier said in his SoNA that he would tap the private sector to produce large infrastructure projects like the proposed expressway from Bulacan to Cagayan Valley, which would create local jobs, particularly in construction projects.

Baldoz said DoLE and the National Economic and Development Authority during the past administration have coordinated with the private sector to address the job mismatch or misappropriation of the labor force in the country through a ”job targeting” program, which indentified the key employment generators and the labor supply and demand in the local and international market.

”Specifically, I am aiming at expanding cooperation between and among employers, the academe, labor organizations and private sector labor market information and exchange institutions to get comprehensive and better data on vacancies and available skills throughout the country, Baldoz said.

According to DoLE statement, the data, particularly the job vacancies would be disseminated by the Public Employment Service Officers and by Bureau of Local Employment to the barangay level to give access to a larger number of unemployed Filipinos.

It would also be used by the Technical and Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to regulate the number of its trainees on its training program depending on the trends it projected.

”I’ve instructed TESDA to reactivate its industry boards to regulate the skills training based on the needs of the industry to avoid an oversupply,” Baldoz said. –Manila Bulletin