BPO sector launches bid to improve RP labor pool

The Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) said it will work for the reduction of the skills-jobs mismatch in the country through the strengthening of its collaboration with government and the education sector.

Improving skills of the local workforce will help sustain the development of the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry, it said.

A three-fold increase in IT-BPO employment within five years was set as the benchmark to attain the $25 billion revenue target by 2016, according to BPAP.

Talent management, including certification and outreach initiatives, has become a top priority, Raymond Lacdao, BPAP industry affairs executive director, said.

“After experiencing rapid growth over the past few years, the industry is looking for ways to sustaining its talent supply. We need a robust pool of skillful and motivated workers to spur further growth,” Lacdao said. Top skills needed in the industry include leadership, English language skills, strategic thinking, comprehension, and teamwork, among others.

Lacdao said that talent is among the key issues that will be discussed during the Third International Outsourcing Summit (IOS), a high-level meeting of global outsourcing leaders and experts. The IOS will be held Oct. 11 and 12 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila.

BPAP has spearheaded the Global Competitiveness Assessment Tool to allow firms to assess the skills of graduating students and improve hiring rates. The IT-BPO industry also expressed its support for the K+12 education reform program, which will help create a more flexible and training ground that will complement the industry’s talent and skill requirements.

“Support from the government is a big step toward meeting the industry’s $25-billion expansion by 2016. If we reach this goal, the industry could employ up to 1.3 million Filipinos and generate 12.5 percent of the gross domestic product,” Lacdao said. –Ayen Infante, Daily Tribune