The Manila Times

BUILDING A GLOBALLY
COMPETITIVE FILIPINO
WORKFORCE
By: Ernie Cecilia, DPM
November 23, 2023
In the past, a college diploma was a powerful endorsement of a person's skills. Now and
in the future, it is not the best guarantee that one will have a job. Over a million college
graduates are jobless today, while technical/vocational-trained graduates are somehow
gainfully employed.

On the one hand, demonstrable proficiency in a set of hard and soft skills is a better
pathway toward employment opportunities. On the other, a lack of formal credentialing
could deny otherwise qualified individuals access to higher-paying jobs. Millions of job
seekers with the skills and experience for middle-skill jobs are rejected simply for lack of
a four-year college degree.

The increasing use of artificial intelligence or AI in manufacturing, services, construction,

agriculture and other sectors is causing a scare that many jobs will be lost. Government
should lead massive workforce reskilling and upskilling through appropriate education,
training and credentialing modalities on AI-related skills to address AI-related issues.
 GOOD OR BAD FOR THE COUNTRY

Improve job seekers' access to employment facilitators. Labor market information is

crucial to workers' and trainees' access to appropriate facilities and agencies.
Address the imbalance in the allocation of jobs and skills.
Intensify industry-academe linkages. Higher education institutions (HEIs) and the
industry must work together to craft the right curricula and modalities that will
create the skills for employment or entrepreneurship in the future.