Farmers, fishermen to become in demand in next 10 years’

MANILA, Philippines – Farmers and fishermen are expected to become the most in demand workers in the country in the next 10 years.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), farming and fishing have been identified as “emerging industries” in the Philippines.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said apart from diversified farming and fishing, other emerging industries in the next 10 years that are expected to provide employment opportunities for Filipinos are power and utilities, creative industries and renewable energy.

At this time, the so-called growing industries or “key employment generators” in the Philippines are agribusiness, cyber services, health and wellness, hotel and restaurant, tourism, mining, construction, banking and finance, manufacturing, real estate, transport and logistics, wholesale and retail trade, Baldoz said.

The labor chief urged young students and even fresh graduates to take a closer look at the emerging industries and develop skills that will qualify them for these businesses and key employment generators.

“Young students should consider taking up skills for these industries so our country would finally be able to address the prevailing job-skills mismatch and eventually cut down the high unemployment rate,” Baldoz said.

She added that these growing and emerging industries would also provide alternative employment opportunities for young Filipinos who are usually forced to go abroad just to get a job.

Nicon Fameronag, DOLE’s communication office director, said related training and formal education for these industries should be taken up by young students so they could get immediate employment.

“DOLE wants our young students to know that these are the types of jobs that are in demand and would be in demand in the future, thus they should take up courses and training related to it,” Fameronag said.

Fameronag said many young students these days are taking up courses that are not in demand or would not provide them immediate employment.

He noted that DOLE has identified 108 vacancies that are hard to fill due to lack of available skills.

Baldoz said DOLE is closely working with the Department of Education for the implementation of new programs that would encourage students to take up skills necessary to fill the vacancies in the growing and emerging industries.

DOLE has also tasked the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to extend counseling, guidance and training to interested students.  –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)