24% of PH companies willing to hire graduates of K to 12
Published Apr 21, 2018 03:18 pm
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday welcomed findings on the employers’ willingness to hire graduates of the K to 12 Program and challenged Senior High School (SHS) graduates to “develop their skills” to get higher chances to succeed in the labor market.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
“This is a welcome opportunity for DepEd to have a baseline data on the employers' willingness to hire K to 12 graduates,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Planning and Field Operations Jesus Mateo. He was reacting to the result of the survey conducted by online job portal JobStreet.com Philippines.
In its 2018 Fresh Graduate Report released last week, it was revealed that only “24% of employers in the country” expressed willingness to hire K to 12 graduates in the industries of manufacturing, professional services, retail, machinery and equipment, and business process outsourcing (BPO).
Meanwhile, 35% of employers who participated in the said survey expressed that they are not yet ready to hire K to 12 completers while 41% of are still on the process of evaluating it with no definite timeline. The findings from the report are based on JobStreet.com data collected from October to December 2017 as well as a survey conducted in February 2018 which involved 503 employers nationwide.
Mateo said that “24 percent is about 2 in 10” of company employees. Thus, he noted that this result is “good enough percent to take in K to 12 grads in entry level positions doing administrative and support work to technical, supervisory and managerial levels.”
Another study on the “readiness and willingness” of companies to hire SHS graduates was also released recently which showed that while “only 1 out of 5 companies are ready” to hire a K to 12 graduate, “3 out of 5 remain open” to employ SHS completers.
The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), composed of the country’s top business leaders committed to furthering the role of education in national competitiveness and development, released the results of a survey conducted. PBEd tapped around 70 companies as respondents within the organization’s network.
According to PBEd Executive Director Lovelaine Basillote, the survey focused on difference between the readiness and willingness of companies to hire K to 12 graduates. “Readiness and openness are two different things,” she said.
Readiness, Basilloted said, pertains to the “capacity for companies to hire given their ability of facilities and entry-level positions” while willingness refers to “simply being the company’s willingness.” She noted though that with the 93 % of K to 12 skills are suitable – even necessary – for entry level work, “we think we can help both graduates and companies through this program.”
PBED recently convened business associations and chambers to reaffirm their support to the K to 12 reform and to allay fears that companies are not willing to hire. PBEd Chairman Ramon del Rosario said that “as the first batch of senior high school students graduate this year in an uncertain labor market, now more than ever we stand united in working with government to ensure that the K to 12 reform delivers on its promises of greater economic opportunities for every Filipino.”
To help realize the promise of the K to 12 of producing an employable youth, PBED formed the K to 12 Coalition and urged employers “not to discriminate” against high school graduates despite having the option to hire college graduates.
A change in mindset and perception, del Rosario said, would help companies to be more "more open-minded" when it comes to hiring SHS graduates. Given the current reality on the openness for hiring K to 12 graduates and the availability of SHS graduates, he enjoined the private sector to “deliver the promise of employability by rethinking hiring guidelines and putting premium on competencies instead of credentials.”
“Let’s not discriminate against high school graduates,” del Rosario said as he urged employers to give equal opportunity to K to 12 graduates “where they potentially have the competencies.”
Meanwhile, Mateo said that the results of these surveys would help the DepEd in reviewing the implementation of the SHS program. These findings, he added, will also serve as “a challenge at the same time for K to 12 graduates to develop their skills and be the company's engine to growth.” He added that with developed skills “coupled with the right attitude,” K to 12 graduates “will surely succeed in the labor market.”
(MANILA BULLETIN)
“This is a welcome opportunity for DepEd to have a baseline data on the employers' willingness to hire K to 12 graduates,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Planning and Field Operations Jesus Mateo. He was reacting to the result of the survey conducted by online job portal JobStreet.com Philippines.
In its 2018 Fresh Graduate Report released last week, it was revealed that only “24% of employers in the country” expressed willingness to hire K to 12 graduates in the industries of manufacturing, professional services, retail, machinery and equipment, and business process outsourcing (BPO).
Meanwhile, 35% of employers who participated in the said survey expressed that they are not yet ready to hire K to 12 completers while 41% of are still on the process of evaluating it with no definite timeline. The findings from the report are based on JobStreet.com data collected from October to December 2017 as well as a survey conducted in February 2018 which involved 503 employers nationwide.
Mateo said that “24 percent is about 2 in 10” of company employees. Thus, he noted that this result is “good enough percent to take in K to 12 grads in entry level positions doing administrative and support work to technical, supervisory and managerial levels.”
Another study on the “readiness and willingness” of companies to hire SHS graduates was also released recently which showed that while “only 1 out of 5 companies are ready” to hire a K to 12 graduate, “3 out of 5 remain open” to employ SHS completers.
The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), composed of the country’s top business leaders committed to furthering the role of education in national competitiveness and development, released the results of a survey conducted. PBEd tapped around 70 companies as respondents within the organization’s network.
According to PBEd Executive Director Lovelaine Basillote, the survey focused on difference between the readiness and willingness of companies to hire K to 12 graduates. “Readiness and openness are two different things,” she said.
Readiness, Basilloted said, pertains to the “capacity for companies to hire given their ability of facilities and entry-level positions” while willingness refers to “simply being the company’s willingness.” She noted though that with the 93 % of K to 12 skills are suitable – even necessary – for entry level work, “we think we can help both graduates and companies through this program.”
PBED recently convened business associations and chambers to reaffirm their support to the K to 12 reform and to allay fears that companies are not willing to hire. PBEd Chairman Ramon del Rosario said that “as the first batch of senior high school students graduate this year in an uncertain labor market, now more than ever we stand united in working with government to ensure that the K to 12 reform delivers on its promises of greater economic opportunities for every Filipino.”
To help realize the promise of the K to 12 of producing an employable youth, PBED formed the K to 12 Coalition and urged employers “not to discriminate” against high school graduates despite having the option to hire college graduates.
A change in mindset and perception, del Rosario said, would help companies to be more "more open-minded" when it comes to hiring SHS graduates. Given the current reality on the openness for hiring K to 12 graduates and the availability of SHS graduates, he enjoined the private sector to “deliver the promise of employability by rethinking hiring guidelines and putting premium on competencies instead of credentials.”
“Let’s not discriminate against high school graduates,” del Rosario said as he urged employers to give equal opportunity to K to 12 graduates “where they potentially have the competencies.”
Meanwhile, Mateo said that the results of these surveys would help the DepEd in reviewing the implementation of the SHS program. These findings, he added, will also serve as “a challenge at the same time for K to 12 graduates to develop their skills and be the company's engine to growth.” He added that with developed skills “coupled with the right attitude,” K to 12 graduates “will surely succeed in the labor market.”