Legarda seeks stronger link between education, training, and local job opportunities

Senator Loren Legarda stressed that as industries change, technologies advance, and new investments enter different regions, the government must ensure that Filipino students, workers, parents, and jobseekers are not left guessing what courses to take, what skills to learn, or what jobs may soon become available in their own communities.

“Hindi dapat manghula ang ating mga estudyante, magulang, manggagawa, at mga naghahanap ng trabaho kung anong trabaho ang darating sa kanilang lugar, anong skills ang kailangan, at saan nila pwedeng matutunan ang mga ito. Dapat may malinaw na gabay ang bawat Pilipino para makapaghanda sa disenteng trabaho at mas magandang kinabukasan,” Legarda said.

To address this gap, Legarda filed Senate Bill 2409 or the proposed Gabay sa Trabaho at Kasanayan Act, which seeks to strengthen the link between education, training, employment, and regional development planning through a National Labor Market Intelligence and Skills Anticipation System.

At the national level, the measure seeks to strengthen existing labor market information systems under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), with PhilJobNet serving as the principal public-facing platform for jobs, skills information, career pathways, training opportunities, scholarships, and other support programs.

At the regional level, the measure requires the preparation of Regional Skills and Jobs Outlooks to identify emerging jobs, skills requirements, priority industries, education and training pathways, and recommended responses for local workforce development.

“Kapag may bagong industriya, investment, economic zone, o malaking proyekto sa isang rehiyon, dapat hindi nahuhuli sa impormasyon ang mga kabataan at manggagawang nakatira roon. Dapat alam nila kung anong trabaho ang darating, anong skills ang kailangan, at paano sila makapaghahanda bago pa dumating ang oportunidad,” Legarda said.

The bill also seeks to ensure that labor market information leads to action. Based on the national framework and regional outlooks, the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) may formulate Education and Training Response Plans, consistent with their respective mandates. These plans may guide program expansion, short-cycle training, microcredentials, apprenticeships, scholarships, reskilling, upskilling, and other responses needed by learners and workers.

“We are not creating another bureaucracy. We are making existing systems work better together. Labor market information should not remain in reports that ordinary people cannot use. It must reach students choosing a course, workers looking to reskill, parents guiding their children, schools planning programs, and local governments preparing their communities,” Legarda said.

“Ang trabaho, edukasyon, at kasanayan ay dapat magkakaugnay. Kung alam natin kung saan papunta ang ekonomiya ng bawat rehiyon, mas maihahanda natin ang ating mga paaralan, mga training institutions, local governments, at mga manggagawa. Sa ganitong paraan, ang bawat Pilipino ay magkakaroon ng mas malinaw na gabay tungo sa disenteng trabaho at mas matatag na kinabukasan,” Legarda concluded. (30)