By Adrian H. Halili,Reporter
THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is strengthening its collaboration with the education sector to improve the local job supply amid the growing number of Filipinos entering the labor force, its top official said at the weekend.
“We are improving industry-academe collaboration and embedding skills development into curriculum design. Flexible and responsive education systems are key to increasing labor force participation and addressing emerging skill requirements,” Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said in a Viber message.
There were 52.42 million Filipinos that were part of the labor force in June, growing from the 52.32 million in May and the 51.9 million working Filipinos a year prior, according to the local statistics agency.
In its latest Labor Force Survey, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also found the labor force participation rate (LFPR) slipped to 65.7% in June from 65.8% in May and the 66% the same month last year. LFPR is the proportion of the working-age population (15 years old and over) that is part of the total labor force.
Mr. Laguesma said that the government is also implementing enterprise-based education and training to align education and training programs with the evolving needs of the labor market.
He added that aligning government-industry-academe programs would strengthen curriculum development, enhance training delivery, and support job placement programs, ensuring alignment with industry standards.
He also said that the agency was expanding upskilling and reskilling initiatives in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and other in-demand skills, in collaboration with the private sector and academia.
Mr. Laguesma said that the government was also strengthening Senior High School (SHS) programs by intensifying information dissemination about the K-12 program to employers and enhancing the work preparation component of the SHS curriculum to better prepare graduates for employment.
Recently, the SHS program has been criticized due to its failure to produce job ready graduates, almost more than 10 years since its implementation.
He added that the agency is looking to “future proof labor demand” by advancing market intelligence as well as job research and development.
“To future-proof labor demand, we will improve market intelligence systems, intensify research and development, and support the graduation of informal sector workers and micro and small enterprises into the formal economy,” he said.
The government will also strengthen and expand social protection measures to reduce the vulnerability of Filipinos to improve labor market governance.
It will also “improve institutional arrangements on flexible working arrangements to support diverse needs of employees and businesses; promote industrial peace; improve job transitions programs; and enhance job forecasting protocols to anticipate future skills and labor demand,” he said.
The Labor chief also noted that the government’s 10-year jobs master plan would further bolster the Philippines’ labor market.
The government’s Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Plan is a 10-year roadmap that aims to increase the labor force participation rate to 68.2% by 2034.
“Under the TPB Plan, we have identified key sectors for job generation and productivity: digital economy, green and blue jobs, creative and care industries, construction, agriculture and agribusiness, tourism, logistics, and advanced manufacturing,” he added.
