Senator Legarda pushes stronger system linking job opportunities to education, skills training

Senator Loren Legarda is pushing for a stronger system linking education, skills training and employment opportunities to help Filipinos prepare for jobs emerging in their communities.

Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 2409, or the proposed Gabay sa Trabaho at Kasanayan Act, which seeks to establish a National Labor Market Intelligence and Skills Anticipation System that would connect labor market information with education, training and regional development planning.

The proposed system aims to provide students, workers, parents and jobseekers with clearer information on emerging industries, in-demand skills, training opportunities and potential employment in their respective areas.

“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,” Legarda said.

Under the measure, the Department of Labor and Employment, through the Bureau of Local Employment, would strengthen existing labor market information systems, with PhilJobNet serving as the main public platform for job opportunities, skills information, career pathways, training programs, scholarships and other support services.

The bill would also require the preparation of Regional Skills and Jobs Outlooks to identify emerging occupations, skills requirements, priority industries and appropriate education and training pathways in each region.

Legarda said the initiative would be particularly important when new industries, investments, economic zones or major projects enter a region.

The proposed framework would also encourage the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to develop education and training responses based on national labor market data and regional outlooks.

These could include expanding academic and training programs, short-term courses, microcredentials, apprenticeships, scholarships, and reskilling and upskilling programs.

Legarda said the proposal would not create another government bureaucracy but would instead improve coordination among existing systems and agencies.

“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,” she said.

“Ang trabaho, edukasyon, at kasanayan ay dapat magkakaugnay,” she said. “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.”