Gov’t 10-year jobs masterplan must include AI courses — NEDA

THE government’s jobs masterplan should help workers keep up with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said on Tuesday.

“The other challenge (that the) Trabaho Para Sa Bayan Act (seeks to address are) mismatches in the labor market, because technology is evolving very fast, and yet the skills of our workers are lagging behind,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said at a briefing.

“Because we see these technologies, while they threaten some, when we position ourselves properly, they are opportunities. In fact, I am not so worried at all,” he said.

The Department of Trade and Industry has said that AI could contribute as much as $90 billion to the economy by 2030.

However, only 17% of organizations are ready to employ AI, with the majority of them citing concerns about their inability to handle these technologies.

The Philippines ranked 65th out of 193 countries — down 11 places — in the 2023 Government AI Readiness Index compiled by Oxford Insights.

Mr. Balisacan cited how the public eventually adopted the internet amid initial misgivings.

“We have to retool. We have to use these as new tools rather than thing that will replace us.”

The NEDA, as well as the Trade and Labor departments, will begin drafting a 10-year jobs masterplan that will focus on the creative and service sectors. The three agencies signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act No. 19962 or the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act on Tuesday.

The jobs masterplan includes three-year, six-year and 10-year development timelines.

“We recognize that we have much to do in our efforts if we wish to further equip our workers with emerging and in-demand skills that are adaptive to the fast-paced and ever-changing domestic and global economy,” Mr. Balisacan said during the IRR signing.

The number of jobless rose to 2.15 million or 4.5% of the employment-aged population in January from 3.1% in December. The reading in January 2023 had been 4.8%.