DOLE jobs fairs expose ‘skills mismatch’

LABOR Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz called on Filipino workers and job seekers on Tuesday to adapt to the changing industry landscape by “retooling and retraining” for employment security as she cites glaring problem of skills mismatch, where only 1,000 applicants were hired on the spot when there are, in fact, 135,000 job vacancies offered in Metro Manila.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held jobs and livelihood fairs across the country, offering a total of 360,777 job vacancies. Of this number, 283,865 are for overseas-based jobs and 74,352 are for domestic employment.

On a nationwide count only 5,101 job applicants were hired on the spot, figures show.

In Metro Manila a total of 134,982 jobs were offered at the DOLE-led jobs and livelihood fair at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Pasay City. Of this figure, 85,000 are overseas job vacancies, while 49,982 are for local employment. But as of noontime, the DOLE records at the WTC that showed only some 625 are hired on the spot, 365 of them for local jobs and 260 for abroad. The total of workers hired on the spot nationwide, on the other hand, reached only 1,000.

“The country has abundance of labor supply but if the workers lack the necessary skills required by the companies, they will really find it difficult to get jobs,” said Baldoz during an interview at the Dole jobs and livehood fair at the WTC.

She stressed that beyond getting a college degree, a Filipino worker should seek “employment security” to be able to fit to the jobs being required by emerging industries. “Companies now require multiskills from their employers,” she said, adding that “possession of multi-skills will ensure them employment security.”

International Labor Organization Country Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson also called on the government to focus on skills training and livelihood for the country’s 15 million vulnerable workers, 7.9 million of them are working poor unable to manage to squeeze out of the grip of poverty.

He said the majority of these people lack the necessary skills and educational background to qualify in the formal employment, and will likely remain impoverished.

Johnson said the country’s 7.2-percent or 2.9 million unemployment is not as problematic as the 42-percent or 15 million, vulnerable employment sector, because half of these unemployed people possess education background.

“Addressing these things takes time but we need to make it clear that the government needs to set the environment for the vulnerable workers to enter into formal employment,” said Johnson in an interview at the sidelines of DOLE jobs and livelihood fair.

He said the government should focus on the agriculture sector, where the bulk of the vulnerable workers is engaged directly or indirectly, including those in subsistence farming and unpaid family workers. Vulnerable employment sector also includes food vendors and sari-sari store owners

“Too often, agriculture sector is often overlooked, [yet] it’s critical to look at the agriculture sector as the Philippines has a huge potential to become an exporter of agriculture products while meeting domestic demands,” said Johnson.

Baldoz said the government’s intervention for vulnerable workers includes livelihood grants of up to P10,000 to allow a family to put up a small business. She said the Aquino administration’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program also seeks to address “generational poverty” that provides parents with livelihood so children will not be forced to work but instead finish basic education.

Baldoz also said that among the emerging industries that will demand increase in workers include outsourcing, information and communications technology, tourism, including hotels and restaurants, as well as construction.

She said the Philippines still rely heavily on services sector, that comprise 50 percent of the industry followed by 33 percent share of agriculture and 17 percent industry sector. –Estrella Torres / Reporter, Businessmirror