RP skills registry system unveiled

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has underscored the importance of the Department of Labor and Employment’s National Skills Registry System, which he said would help narrow the mismatch between an individual’s skills against current job availability, a common problem experienced by new graduates.

In his speech keynoting the Public Employment Service Office’s 10th National Congress at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City, Aquino said it is high time the skill and job mismatch problem be addressed by government.

“It is sad that the common misconception is that there are no jobs to be found in the Philippines when in truth there is an abundance of vacant jobs that need to be filled. The problem is that the skill of the prospective applicant does not meet the requirements of their prospective job. It is high time that we address this problem of job and skill mismatch,” the President said.

“It means we do not have the necessary information to train an individual’s skill set to make him or her eligible for a job. This also means that we lack the information to provide our businessmen to help them run their industry efficiently. This is a hindrance to our progress,” he added.

Aquino pointed out that aside from bridging the job and skill mismatch, the SRS will also be instrumental in the implementation of the government’s Emergency Employment Program which will be re-launched soon.

He said that the EEP will not only focus on emergency work programs and doable and fundable livelihood projects given to citizens in times of crisis but on the improvement of these “temporary jobs” to become permanent job skills within a certain community.

“Kung may ipapatayong imprastraktura sa isang pamayanan, kalahati po sa mga kukunin nilang trabahador at 30 porsiyento ng “skilled” workers na kakailanganin ng contractor ay mangagaling dapat mismo sa komunidad,” he added.

The President noted however that a prospective workforce in a community will not be possible if PESO staff and officials are not attuned to searching for these individuals.

He added that through job matching portals such as the government’s PhilJobNet, information on job vacancies as well as prospective employers will be made available to job seekers nationwide.

Aquino said he has instructed the labor department to put up a coordinative system to oversee the program and execute its implementation.*PNA