SENATOR FERDINAND R. Marcos Jr. warned tertiary school graduates in the country about the growing mismatch between workers’ skills and those required by the industry sector.

Marcos said this annoying scenario in the labor work force today is causing a massive unemployment rate of about 6.6 percent and that one-fifth of this beleaguered sector are college graduates who pursued education not in accordance to the need of the times.

Speaking before the 2,001 graduates of MMSU on April 10 during the 37th Commencement Exercises, Marcos said this skills mismatch awaiting the graduates is both cruel and competitive.

However, the senator allayed the fear saying that “we should not be alarmed but comforted because the courses offered by MMSU are directly attuned to the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) list of in-demand and hard-to-fill jobs in the economy until 2020.

Citing a report from the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), Marcos said about 40 percent of the 500,000-600,000 fresh college graduates throughout the country today will find difficulty landing a job after graduation.

“In fact, the January 2015 labor force survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports that the Ilocos Region has posted an 8.5 percent unemployment rate, a figure higher than the national average of about 7 percent,” Marcos said as he warned the graduates that before they apply for jobs, it is prudent that they must assess their skills and competencies to assure them of increased chances at employment.

For possible government employment, Marcos reminded the graduates to pass the civil service examinations to determine whether they have the required skills and knowledge for government service. For private employment, Marcos cited the PMAP’s 2010 study that suggests Filipino workforce to possess the necessary functional skills, which are demanded by competitive and aggressive industry standards. These essential skills are critical thinking, initiative, and effective communication skills.

Using the country as an example, the senator said the Philippines is a top destination of business process outsourcing (BPO) companies because of the Filipinos’ proficiency and adaptability of the English language, not to mention their uncanny ability to mimic Western accents.

However, he said low salary is still another major reason skilled workers shun to work in the country. When these skilled workers get hired, they would encounter the realities of minimum wage and low salaries, the prevalent five-month contracts for laborers, retrenchments and layoffs, and even abusive employers, among others.

Marcos warned the graduates of these realities and challenged them “to teach ourselves, and learn by heart our basic rights under the Constitution and existing labor laws,” while reminding them that the DOLE, and the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) are there to precisely help new employees guard their labor rights and uphold their interests.

Meanwhile, the senator also reported that Ilocos Norte today, led by Laoag City and San Nicolas town, is now being primed to become a destination of BPO and ICT companies in Region 1. Thus, graduates who acquired their studies and trainings at MMSU are more than adequately prepared in mustering these skills.

Records from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte showed that the province today acts as a gateway to various tourism and industrial hubs in the North and that the developmental framework and necessary infrastructures are being set up and laid down to support and absorb the volume of the demands of tourists.

“Those of business prospects and initiatives, which are being attracted and pumped into the province, are practically guaranteeing the development and prosperity of our province,” Marcos said.

The senator also challenged the graduates not to forget the career option of foreign or overseas employment, because remittances from overseas Filipino workers in 2014 were high surpassing the figures in previous years.

“If working overseas is part of your career plans, then start early by honing your skills and competencies to make them at par with international standards. This early, you may already want to start learning the language and culture of the country that you are targeting,” Marcos said.

“All you have to do is to level up your skills, and assiduously look for these golden opportunities available to you. Then, with hard work and good fortune, you shall soon land on your dream jobs and become productive citizens in our communities,” he added.