Talk of the Town: A law to fix job-skills mismatch

Comments on “A law to fix job-skills mismatch,” (Editorial, 8/12/24) via https://opinion.inquirer.net:

Jobs vs skills mismatch is just the symptom of the real problem that the country is not progressing as it should be due to bad governance. Even granting that there is no job mismatch, the lack of employment opportunities is still the main problem, the attribute of a stagnant economy.

Felipe Soriano

Don’t just focus on those high school graduates. Look at the courses that universities in the Philippines offer. One is tourism management—seriously, four years for that? Another is hotel management and a similar one—hotel and restaurant management. Worse, there is another one—office management. CHEd has to evaluate the employability of graduates of these courses and not just the employability but if their job is related to their degree.

windar_einstein

What is it with this country that it thinks every problem can be solved by writing more useless laws? As an employer, I look for people who have the 3R’s, can speak English, and more important are not afraid to do so in the presence of native English speakers, show reasoning skills, and are prepared to think and act for themselves in a fast-moving environment. I don’t see any of those skills in graduates who all want to be treated like babies instead I employ older people with life skills. If you are an unmarried mother with a family to support and are willing to work hard and adapt then you can be trained. If you have operated a sari-sari store you can be trained. What is needed is a good apprentice system with people who are willing to pass on their skills and experience but what I notice in companies here is that the incompetent are promoted to the higher levels and they take credit for the work of others rather than passing on skills.

Benhur Dejesus