SOME BUSINESSES CONTINUE HIRING

By EDU LOPEZ
Manila Bulletin

March 9, 2009, 11:16pm

Some local businesses will continue hiring more people and provide skills re-training especially to displaced workers to help keep unemployment levels at a minimum despite the impact of the global economic crunch.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Edgardo Lacson said except for electronics, other businesses are not much affected by the economic meltdown. "This is because 80 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) is driven by local consumption which makes us little different from other economies and the presence of our informal economy "the SMEs, OFWs" these are peculiar advantages of the country," he noted.

However, despite job demands especially for graduates, Lacson pointed out that matching the skills between the academe and industry remained the biggest problem.

"Only four out of 10 are hired after graduation but the rest are not hired because their skills do not match the requirements of the industry," he said.

Lacson said the PCCI’s School-To-Office Response to Employment (STORE) system hopes to address this gap, as it matches industry demand for specific qualifications through a ladderized system of entry either through on-the-job training or apprenticeship for permanent employment.