K to 12 Karat

Our beloved household staff member knew that economically, she was better off with us than working as a saleslady. Apart from paying her monthly salary, free meals and lodging (of course), she gets extra money for R&R. We also brought her with us every now and then when we dined out. She could also pick up toiletries and “sitsirya” for herself when she shopped for groceries. So whatever she received as salary was full and intact.

Despite all that, she decided that she needed a life of her own. As you know, the biggest downside of a household staff member’s job is that one lives with a family, not one’s own, and is literally on call 24/7 except when on day off, and when asleep. It’s not that one gets called on all the time – it’s the fact that one can get called on anytime. And unless it’s one’s day off, there’s no time for “life” nor “love.”

We were supportive of her decision to study at an institution accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). I thought it was supposed to be a two-year thing but what happened in her case was that she studied at this private institute in Zamboanga for a year, and underwent on-the-job training (OJT) during her entire second year. Her school had an arrangement with a manufacturer in an industrial park in Laguna to supply trainees there.

I think she was paid the equivalent to what a learner would get, which was lower than minimum wage. And she had to pay her school 10 percent of what little compensation she received. This went on for 10 months, which took up the entire second year of her two-year vocational course. So the school only teaches for a year, and for the second year, it acts as an unlicensed manpower supply business as it earns from students’ allowance. Net of what she paid the school, she kept for herself – about P250 per day. From that amount, she needed to pay for her lodging, food and other necessities. Sounds like a really super-tight budget, but she lived with what she could call freedom.

Back to her program – she enrolled in a course called “computer system servicing,” where she just had a year of schooling and on her second year, she worked at this manufacturer where she had a quality control job. However, it was totally unrelated to what she studied for. She did not even test the cooling system that was supposed to pass her scrutiny but inspected it only for outward defects like scratches, dents or any external imperfections. In other words, there was no relation between her tech-voc course and the job she was doing. She eventually carried on to be an apprentice for five months, then probationary employee for six months. In total, it took her one year and nine months to become regularly employed. A lot of labor issues there, but she gained employment.

Her tech-voc and work experience was pre-K to 12. What is good about the K to 12 program is that TESDA issued a good curriculum that must be followed. There is a prescribed number of hours for “immersion” or OJT (about 80 hours or more). So the K to 12 program is richer in theories and principles, which is good. Pre-K to 12, however, students enjoyed more protection under labor standards. Under the labor rules, they are required to be paid as learners at not lower than 75 percent of the daily minimum wage. Under K to 12 guidelines issued by the Department of Education, students undergoing “immersion” are not required to be paid anything. Not even allowance. It is totally at the discretion of the company providing the OJT whether the student gets any allowance or remuneration at all. 

There are potential labor issues here. If the K to 12 OJTs are performing functions necessary and beneficial to the business, the “employers” shouldn’t help themselves to a freebie.

Truth be told, employers would only be interested to hire K to 12 graduates because it is less costly to employ them. Unless by exception, K to 12 graduates cannot compete skillswise with a college graduate. For example, in the BPO industry, college graduates are available and there are many good talents in the pool, including those who have taken board exams. It does not make business sense to hire and pay almost the same amount to someone who hasn’t had four or five years of higher education.

This builds the case to require all K to 12 graduates to take the National Certification (NC) exams. The exam is given to test proficiency in all units of competency that comprise the qualifications set by TESDA. The K to 12 curriculum provides the knowledge and skill sets needed to pass the exam and gain an NC. At least, potential employers will be encouraged to hire them because there is some seal of quality. Students and schools will also be compelled to do good if there is a mandatory official measure for all.

Apart from that, it will be healthy for the national labor force if companies allocate a certain percentage of their job openings to K to 12 graduates to give this group of youth a chance. If employers can look at them with the eyes of a parent, and the young applicant as their child struggling for a chance, then the question of whether it makes business sense simply becomes –  whether it makes sense.

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Alexander Cabrera is the chairman of Integrity Initiative Inc. (II, Inc.), a non-profit organization that promotes common ethical and acceptable integrity standards. He is also the chairman and senior partner of Isla Lipana & Co./PwC Philippines. Email your comments and questions to [email protected]. This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.