CAREER GUIDANCE WEEK EVERY JULY

Government and academe level up job and skills matching, DOLE to observe Career Guidance Week every July.

“With the continuous improvement of the country’s business climate and the labor market situation, the government will brook no obstacles and will be twice as intense in the previous years in addressing the job-skills mismatch in the country.”

This was the statement of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, as she sounded anew the government’s intensified efforts to create a competent pool of workforce through one of many strategies—the observance of Career Guidance Week for secondary students.

“The government is steadfast in conducting roundtable discussions and consultations on policy inconsistencies and administrative inefficiencies that hinder job creation; and one way to show that we are moving forward is the observance of Career Guidance Week on month of July.

The observance of Career Guidance Week is part of the Career Guidance Advocacy Program (CGAP), a convergent program of spearheaded by the Human Development and Poverty Reduction (HDPR) Cluster. The CGAP seeks to address the job-skills mismatch problem.

Its implementation is led by the Department of Education (DepED), in collaboration with the CGAP-Working Group—composed of the DOLE, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Citing DepEd’s Department Order No. 25, s. 2013, which declares the observance of the Career Guidance Week, Baldoz said “the direction of one’s career path can be strengthened in the presence of career advocacy program that defines various jobs which are considered marketable.”

“The observance of Career Guidance Week in all High Schools starting the year 2013 is envisioned to prevent too much waste of resources in producing graduates in the tertiary level, as well as in technical vocational level who could not meet the qualification standards for the labor market,” she added.

At the end of the five-day event, as stated in the guidelines, the students shall have acquired information on the following: (1) discovering one’s strengths and developing awareness; (2) the qualification standards for all types of career jobs; and (3) making informed decisions on a career choice.

It also aims to develop awareness and appreciation on the available jobs in the labor market which is in lined with their needs and interests.

“Ultimately, the event seeks to make the students experience the careers they are aiming at,” Baldoz said.

“Through this observance, we expect hundreds of thousands of students trooping to colleges and universities in the next school year to already have a fair idea of the labor market that will gear them up towards right career choices,” she added.

The conduct of Career Guidance Week is in-line with the goal of the K-12 Basic Education Program to produce graduates who are ready for higher education, middle level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

High school students from Grade 7 to 12are required to participate, accompanied by their parents or guardians, academe, and other stakeholders. From here on, the event shall be held every last week of July of every academic year.

In order to prepare Career Guidance Week implementors, the Professional Regulation Commission will host a Capacity Building Seminar-Workshop for public and private guidance counselors, principals and school superintendents from the different regions, teachers and other career guidance advocates this 24-25 June.

At the of the 3-day seminar-workshop, the participants will be able to achieve the following: (1) discuss the different career development student competencies, models and implications to the Career Guidance Week activities; (2) demonstrate facilitating skills relevant to and appropriate for the CGW activities; (3) apply the decision-making steps/procedures; (4) use and integrate the needed information about the students/clients, regulated professions, technical-vocational jobs and current LMI for coming up with adequate and well-informed career decisions; (5) explain the appropriate ethical standards related to the CGW activities; and (6) demonstrate the ability to be culturally sensitive and responsive to students/clients.

Towards this end, the labor and employment chief said she anticipates sustained positive action from the government and its tripartite partners, saying that by working together, inclusive economic growth and sustainable development can be fast achieved.

“With the right knowledge about the labor market, we make our students—our future workforce—armed and ready.”

The efforts of DOLE in addressing jobs and skills mismatch is in-line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s 22-point labor and employment agenda, whose overarching goal is to invest in the country’s human resource to make them more competitive and employable. # Adapted News - DOLE