Education policymakers should ensure that educational programs align with the demands of the job market to achieve the United Nations’s sustainable development growth number four or quality education, researchers said.

In a study by the Philippine Institute and Development Studies (PIDS), researchers said that initiatives such as validity assessments, capacity building for trainers, and the utilization of successful models worldwide will aid in boosting quality education in the country.

They also cited Germany and Korea’s Meister high schools– schools that teach highly technical skills compatible with manufacturing and other high-value industries.

“Private sector involvement in curriculum and training development is also crucial to ensure that educational programs are practical and applicable in real-world occupational settings,” they stated.

Declining quality of jobs

Based on the Labor Force Survey, the Philippine labor force from 2019 to 2021 had been dominated by individuals who had incomplete high school education.

This demographic, according to the researchers, tends to gravitate towards low-skilled, low-productivity, and low-earning jobs.

The study also pointed out the decline in the share of professional roles among the youth where the majority enter low-skilled occupations that do not have collegiate requirements,

“This emerging trend is worrying, as despite heightened college participation rates among the youth, a growing proportion is entering middle-skill and low-skilled occupations that do not mandate a college degree,” the researchers stated.

In August, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported an increase in employed persons but noted that most are not working in high-quality jobs.

Most Filipinos during the month were wage and salary workers, followed by self-employed persons without any paid employee, unpaid family workers, and employers in a family-operated farm or business.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa explained that some unpaid family workers are those who participate in “planting activities” in the agricultural sector, while others contribute to activities related to the reopening of schools.

Meanwhile, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Authority, Arsenio M. Balisacan acknowledged the difficulty in creating high-quality jobs, saying that there would be a need for massive investment in infrastructure to improve job quality.

On the other hand, Jesus Felipe, a professor of economics at De La Salle University, said during a presentation that retail wholesale, agriculture, and trading remain the major employers that are considered low-wage industries.

He also emphasized that employers still require college degree requirements for jobs that do not require those, noting that they should invest more in technology and competent workers even those without credentials.

Proposed interventions

As of the current, the Philippines is working on its own Meister school, with the approval of House Bill 6287, which aims to produce workers in the manufacturing sector and other high-value industries, such as energy, machinery, mechatronics, and telecommunications.

The current administration also expressed support for the establishment of the Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corp., a body that aims to address problems with jobs and skills mismatch.

This body will be led by the private sector and will be joined by PIDS, NEDA, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Professional Regulation Commission.

Human capital-based agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority were also urged by the upper house to provide programs that will upskill Filipino workers.