Move eyes curbing labor shortage
Fresh college graduates of information technology and healthcare courses will have to serve a mandatory two years in the country before they can take a job overseas based on an impending Palace directive.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and the Private Sector Advisory Council, or PSAC, have firmed up the requirement that seeks to stem brain drain.
The President expressed his support for the plan to continue training people in the two fields that are in demand abroad and require them to work in the Philippines for at least two to three years after graduation.
According to Malacañang, on Friday, the President said the move would help with the lack of workers in those areas.
“It’s fine (because) if they find jobs abroad, that’s good for them. But our problem here is we lose the talent that we train… that we took through the certification system,” Marcos said during the 5th meeting with the PSAC-Jobs group in Malacañang earlier this week.
Marcos said one solution to compensate for their local service could be through the provision of grants with the condition that they stay in the country for up to three years.
This is because “fewer talented Filipinos are available to support those industries as more and more skilled workers seek greener pastures abroad.”
“After that then they’re free to go,” Marcos said.
Tough competition
In the same meeting, PSAC representatives acknowledged that the attractive compensation packages offered by the United States, United Kingdom, Australian, and European businesses and healthcare institutions threaten to cause a labor shortage.
Thus, mandating service for a set period was a reasonable compromise.
“I think what we can do is to continue to offer certificate programs and train their skills. I think we can do that. There’s no way for us to retain them,” Teresita Sy-Coson of SM Investments Corp. told Marcos, who presented the proposals on behalf of the PSAC Jobs sector.
The Department of Health, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs might negotiate with other nations on employing Filipino workers if a coordinated game plan was prioritized, according to PSACJobs.
Before this, the President gave the Department of Health, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs instructions to collaborate to negotiate a strong stance on the matter with the foreign countries. This was a positive step, according to the PSAC.
‘I think what we can do is to continue to offer certificate programs and train their skills. I think we can do that. There’s no way for us to retain them.’