Senior high students told to take vocational and technical courses

CEBU, Philippines - Instead of taking four-year degree courses, job placement advocates are encouraging senior high students to take vocational and technical courses as these are considered as the reservoir of employment generation today.

Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP) head Fidel Magno said skilled workers with technical backgrounds have bigger chances of earning more, both here and abroad.

Moreover, the demand is not seasonal and is in fact consistently increasing.

Regardless of gender, graduates with vocational diplomas like welders, forklift operators, masons, plumber, carpenters, painters, electricians, and other related skills can get one or even two jobs at a time and earn more.

Office jobs earned through four-year courses like accounting, business managements, among others are too limited and too competitive, "jobs are in the technical and vocational side."

A two-year experience of this kind of job in the Philippines can already send these skilled workers abroad, Magno said.

Philippine Manpower Association of the Philippines (PMAP) president Pericles Alicaway echoed Magno's pronouncement saying technicians and those with other vocational skills are the ones who easily get hired.

In Cebu, the Primary Structures Educational Foundation Inc., (PSEFI) or SKILLS has been encouraging women to take vocational or blue-collar courses.

SKILLS chief operating officer Paulette Liu said that encouraging women to break the gender limitations in acquiring skill, SKILLs is also up in spreading its advocacy to change the mindset that "TechVoc" is not a minority profession, but it has dignity and in fact, high for employment potential.

Liu reiterated that Australia for instance is constantly in need of skilled welders and women welders are advantageous.

Magno reminded high school and senior high students to align the curriculum with what’s currently needed by industries, here and abroad. (FREEMAN)