Job Mismatch

JOB MISMATCH
by: Camelle V. Arriba

Because of the arising number of tertiary graduates per year, our nation is facing a persistent problem of high unemployment and underemployment rate. Several job applicants are forced to seek for jobs which they can easily get employed because of the fear of not being able to meet the wants and needs of their respective families. One of which DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) have pointed out that one of the main cause of these problems is the mismatch of jobs. People are forced and somewhat opted to consider applying for a job which doesn't even have any relevance on their profession because of our country's limited job offerings. Add to that, the population in the Philippines are composed of mostly middle-class citizens and a large portion also goes to the persons living below the poverty line

Philippine government is already addressing this matter, and on the other hand they have stated that there are a lot of job vacancies in the country it’s just that the knowledge and skills of the applicants didn’t match the needs of the company. And it was also mentioned that they are making the move on bridging the gap between the company and academe for the decrease of the unemployment issues in the future. One of which is to match the course offerings with the actual needs of the economy. Though the government is still on the process of resolving this issue, the mad rush of the students on acquiring a job doesn’t stop there. Which is why on these days most of them are attracted to BPO companies that accept either graduate or undergraduates to fill the job vacancies the companies are offering. There might be an annual event where the government is having job fairs where the level of participation of them is very solid but only a few are accepted and others still undergo further interviews with the employers. The companies often say that the ones who aren’t accepted don’t possess the closest qualifications to the job requirement. Other than that, several of the fresh grads are very selective on the job offerings that they attempt to apply because of the wage, employment benefits and satisfaction in the workplace.

Education and Occupation Mismatch in the Labor Market

The educational market and the labor market are the two market systems that facilitate the matching of education and occupations. Both are systems of controlling demand and supply, and systems of evaluation and allocation of positions and agents. As a rule, education qualifies mainly for the labor market, not for the work or occupation itself (Masuda, T. & Muta, H. 1996).

Ahola et al. (1991) concluded that there are two dimensions of matching. First is the level of education which is considered to be the primary dimension of matching process that is related and connected to the segmentation of structural classes and to the reproduction of social positions. And the secondary dimension is the field of study wherein it performs its act within the different levels of education (Ahola, S. 1991)

The study, “The Matching of Educational and Occupational Structures in Sweden and Finland” explains that apart from having a strong connection of education and occupation in the professional fields, individuals who possess different educational backgrounds can also have an easy way to get matched up with various occupations in a relatively elastic way (Ahola et al. 1991).Occupational domains are narrowing or sometimes widening in certain fields. Narrowing occupational profiles can be found in the fields where vocational/professional educational programmes have been developed to meet the needs of specialized occupational tasks (Ahola et al. 1999).


SKILLS- JOB MISMATCH IN THE PHILIPPINES
By: Tenessee Dixie Serentas

ONE of the main reasons why we can’t seem to make a dent on joblessness, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri, is that “many students are taking courses that will not land them jobs needed by industries.”

He added that students who are entering college “should no longer take courses in political science, education and law since there is already a significant surplus” in these fields. Industries supposedly need more graduates in engineering, mining and information technology.

We can’t help but agree. If we want this country to move a lot faster, we need a critical mass of engineers, mathematicians, software developers, physicists, and other fields in the sciences like biotechnology. These courses are the ones that really bring in the money and progress, as shown by countries that invested heavily in uplifting their school systems capability in mathematics and the sciences. We are talking here of places like Israel, Taiwan, China, Vietnam and India.

But if indeed these courses do give high economic returns for graduates, why is it that only a few students are taking up these subjects? There are several reasons.

First is that there is probably no market signal for students to take these courses, essentially because parents and students are not really aware of economic opportunities in these disciplines. If this is true, one reason is that there is no labor-market information system that could help students in making career decisions.

In the United States, the government provides this kind of information by releasing a regular 10-year forecast on potential labor demand vis-à-vis different careers in almost all areas of specialization from teachers, engineers, journalists and doctors. The report, updated each year and posted on the Internet, even provides estimates of the annual income that graduates would get if they take a certain discipline.

Why couldn’t we do the same? In the Philippine context, the government could do it in collaboration with the private sector. Most business organizations in the country are members of chambers of commerce and associations. Managers and HR officers in these companies could expedite this job-market information system by regularly submitting their staff requirements from which their organizations could collate, analyze and disseminate through media.
Second is that some schools are probably not providing the right sets of skills to students. Many schools providing tertiary education are privately owned whose profit imperative may come in the way of providing quality education.

There essentially is nothing wrong with a tertiary educational system dominated by the private sector. The United States has that kind of system and all the world is flocking to American shores to study. It works there because students and their parents have access to information regarding the quality of educational services being offered by schools through a ranking system that economically penalizes those that don’t have the right faculty, facilities and the learning environment.

We should have the same system in the Philippines. If schools and universities here are ranked based on quality of services provided by course or disciplines by university, parents would only enroll their children where they could get quality education in return for their hard-earned money. That way, schools and universities would have the economic incentive to provide the best facilities, qualified faculty members and the best learning environment for students.
Quality schools, of course, would have the tendency to charge high tuition, but this concern could be addressed partially through competition by opening foreign direct investments in schools and universities. Besides, who says quality education is cheap?

Financing education is really a major problem in the Philippines. Many private universities want to invest in laboratories and faculty development. Yet they can only do that through expensive tuition, an option that is constrained by low purchasing power.

The only way to address this is by setting up some kind of a student loan program where students could pay the State later once they are able. Australia has that kind of system and Britain is learning from it. We could probably have the same here.

The private sector could probably help. If society looks at education as an “investment” with very high rates of return, why are banks not giving education loans to students who want to study “profitable” courses like engineering and the sciences? In India for instance, banks lend money to engineering students and MBA students, knowing that these kids would soon earn huge sums once they start working in high-tech industries in Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi and Hyderabad.

The third factor: there are simply fewer people who can endure the rigors of science and engineering courses. If this is true, then the problem goes back to the poor quality of basic education. The solution, therefore, is reforming the elementary-schools system.

One possible solution is by strengthening subjects that really matter: mathematics, science, English and Filipino with laboratories on said subjects. Longer school hours can be assigned to these subjects so the students could have more time to learn new science or math concepts.
At the same time, there is an urgent need to train teachers in science, math and English. It is common knowledge that for lack of science and math teachers, many current teachers in these subjects had backgrounds in social studies, or even physical education. The government should also send these teachers to scholarships for higher learning.

Reforming the elementary-school system would take some time. But we can also take a few shortcuts by investing in science high schools. The local government units and the national government could do this through a counterparting arrangement. With more science high schools in cities and the big municipalities, we could probably increase the number of students who will eventually take science courses.

Definitely, the government will have to strengthen higher education as well. This can be done by streamlining state colleges and universities—for instance, by closing some of them and consolidating others to focus on science and technology and leaving the teaching of social sciences to private universities. The Indians are doing this through their seven institutes of technologies and research institutions where only the cream of the crop is taken as students. That explains their strength in the sciences, engineering and information technology. 

SUMMARY OF THE INTERVIEW WE'VE CONDUCTED
By: Raul S. Azarcon

We conducted an interview to five employees with different job titles about how their educational courses match their jobs.

Going to a mall in a Sunday afternoon was just a wrong time to go, but for the sake of our grades we just continue to do it. There, we choose the workers randomly and ask them if they are vacant or if it's OK to interview them. Some said yes and some are no, so we just continue to the one who says yes.

The first employee that we interviewed was a waiter at this fancy, Japanese-themed cafe. The second was a saleslady at a jewelry store. The third person was a hospital-management graduate and was also a saleslady. And the last two was still a saleslady at this kiosk stand shop. We asked them about the current state of their job, previous experience in college and if it was their choice or option on choosing this present path.

Most of them entered college but only a few finished the course of their choice and decided to apply for jobs in order to help their families and sustain their needs. After which, we asked their opinions about our topic and their answers are all in the same sense and are based on the experiences they come across. With the question that we asked them if the economy of the Philippines would prosper if this is the way that the applicants accept jobs that are not related to their profession.

And majority of them said ‘NO’. One of them said that the employer and the employee will only waste the time, effort and money just to train the accepted applicant. And the others said that it doesn’t matter it is always up to the person if he or she will have the patience and hardwork on pursuing that job. 

HERE's SOME PICTURES OF THE PERSONS WE INTERVIEWED

NO JOBS FOR LOCAL GRADUATES: HEP OFFICERS
By: Harold Ostria

WHEN there is a mismatch between the industry and the academic sector, fresh graduates would find it difficult to get jobs locally, according to Justin Raagas, local coordinator of the Higher Education and Productivity project (HEP).

HEP is a partnership between USAid-Philippines and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) that aims to address the skills gap and mismatch problem of the higher education in the Philippines.

“When mismatch in the industry and academic sector happens, graduates will not supply the needs of the local industries making it hard for them to find a job,” said Raagas.

She added that, for instance, there are a lot of students taking Bachelor of Science in Nursing course although it is not the demand of the local industries.

Raagas said while it is important to take course that are highly needed abroad, it is also important to look for courses that are needed in the local economy.

Employment

Based on the data presented by National Economic Development Authority-Northern Mindanao (Neda), the services, agricultural and industrial sectors are still the highest in terms of employment opportunities.

The Neda report estimated that 1.898 individuals in the region are employed – 48.8-percent in the services sector, 39.2-percent in agriculture and 12-percent in the industry sector.

Meanwhile, the results of the focus group discussions (FGD) conducted by PBEd stated that agro-industry sector belongs to one of the top in their growth projections.

Ralph Paguio, of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber), said the city is the center for the service industry.

PBEd exective director Love Basillote said even the tourism industry in Misamis Oriental has to source its employees in the city.

As to what jobs in the services sector is available in Cagayan de Oro, she said: “Hotel services, education services, medical services, tourism services, trade services and transportation services.”

A chief economic development specialist of Neda told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Thursday that the number of unemployed individuals in the region increased by 122,000 as of July 2013.

Effective education

Chito Salazar, President of PBEd, said education is a way to improve the economic conditions of the families and students should strive to finish schooling.

However, Salazar added that although schooling is not easy but it would be harder if one will not find a job after he graduates.

“But our goal is to make education more effective. The kind of education that will land graduates into jobs to raise their economic situation,” said Salazar, adding that it is one of the goals of their project that would last for three years.

Basillote added that the graduates should be fitting to the services available in the city, and those graduates should be accepted by the service providers.

She said science-based courses in agriculture and engineering will be needed more in the future.

Salazar added that educational institutions should address the needs of industries for more workers.

“Education really contributes by providing the skills and competency for industries,” Salazar said.

He said companies and the academic institution should work together to have a win-win solution to the mismatch in the academe and industries.
Father Roberto Yap, S.J., the President of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, said the project fits well to the mission of the school which seeks to form students to become more productive.

Yap is one of the representatives from the academic sector apart from the students coming from various colleges and universities in the city.

“We are eager to be part of it,” he said.

PBEd

PBEd is a non-government organization that pushed the curriculum reform in the country in the in the form of the K-12 education program.

The organization also plans on establishing the Industry-Academe Government council (AIG) which will compose high-level members from the academic and industrial community.

One of its goals is to increase the involvement of the industries in education.

-- JOB MISMATCH DILEMMA - COMMUNICATING, THE SOLUTION --
By: Gian Marlo I. Hatamosa

The Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines commits to what seems to be a never-ending cause of providing enough decent jobs for Filipinos. It may be pleasing to hear that more than a hundred thousand jobs are available to date, yet it cannot be denied that numbers are still growing in terms of both unemployment and underemployment.

Why? Two words: Job mismatch.

Job mismatch cases in the Philippines is so common among today’s workforce, hence more and more employees become restless and frustrated with their current jobs and career paths.

--HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP REASONS:

1. Wrong choice of college course - either strong parental influence in decision-making, or taking a course pertaining to a job that is “in” (not because the interest is there)

2. Being too money-driven - Applying for jobs that offer above-average compensation packages, like those based abroad, despite not possessing the necessary skills

3. Being too choosy - unreasonable conditions or demands set by jobseekers when looking for or applying to jobs

4. The overqualified stigma - work experiences are beyond employer’s requirements for the job applied for – a situation that is not new to employees who wish to switch careers or lower their standards just to avoid unemployment

5. Cost-cutting measures of companies for relevant training programs - Not all employers allot the required time or budget for training new hires, who are therefore expected to be fast-learners as they go completely hands on as early as day one

6. Using connections in the workplace - There are applicants and employees who consider their relationship with a top-rank person in the organization as an assurance of securing jobs, while those who are more deserving end up unemployed or victims of career mismatches themselves.

Key officials have also put the blame on several sub-factors concerning job mismatch: Executive Director of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Patti de la Rama on location-related conflicts, Delfina Camarillo of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on prodding by family members and the so-called “abroad mentality”, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara on failure to implement the needed reforms in the country’s education system, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on jobseekers’ lack of drive to find work, and DOLE-RO8 OIC-Regional Director Exequiel R. Sarcauga on high school graduates not exerting effort to gain additional knowledge on courses they plan to take in college.

Many efforts to address this alarming national concern have been reported, such as TESDA acting as a bridge between industries and the local education sector regarding further training applicable to a wide range of “hot jobs”, career skills coaching sessions for high school seniors, seminars for school and university heads and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) officials, career guidance advocacy activities, Angara’s Bill of Rights of New Graduates, more job fairs, reverse migration, and a Municipal Career Advocacy Congress (MCAC). For the same purpose, it is also recommended for graduating high school students to take career assessment exams whether given by the school or via the Internet, and for schools to come up with a short but substantive program for them to discuss employment trends and corporate practices.

---IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

In such activities, focus should also include what is believed to be the ultimate solution to the root of the issue: having above average to excellent communication skills.

Communicating fluently and effectively is one of the main weapons of an applicant – written communication when creating resumes, portfolios and cover letters, and oral communication during job interviews. The ability to express and build up oneself verbally and in writing can actually turn things around during the critical stages in the application process. They can explain to employers in detail their core competencies and experiences, as well as justify with conviction why they deserve to be in that position they’re applying for and receive the compensation package and benefits that they expect. The same routine also takes place when the applicant-turned-employee proves his or her worth for a raise, a lateral transfer or a promotion.

To be globally competent, one must be eloquent in the English language. Be it here or abroad as long as employment is under a company managed by native English speakers and non-native English speaking foreigners, thorough knowledge in the universal language of business and the ability to speak and write in it the way it should be done lead to the road to local and international success.