DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/24 August) – Teachers who would find themselves jobless if the K to 12 program of the Department of Education pushes through may apply for jobs in the information and communication technology sector, an official of the industry said.
In an interview Friday, ICT Davao president Samuel Matunog said the city’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has enough job vacancies that could absorb teachers during the two-year transition period of the program beginning next year.
Matunog said ICT Davao partner with the colleges and universities in their aim to give temporary employment to the teachers who risk losing their jobs.
“They (teachers) have issues with K to 12… We have jobs at the call centers and other opportunities in the industry for them,” he said. “That’s our help to ensure that they get jobs while the schools are transitioning into the 12-year basic education program.”
He added they are willing to train the teachers to increase their chances of getting hired in the industry.
“We need to have a short-term project to be able to fill in the gap,” he said.
Recently, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers here recently called for the suspension of the program’s implementation citing the schools lack the facilities.
ACT-Davao said adding two years in high school would not ensure better quality of education due to lack of budget.
During the Livelihood Exchange (Livex) 2015 on August 18 to 21, 2015, at the SMX Convention Center Davao, Matunog said the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines estimated the city has 33,000 workers.
He added that while they are looking at expanding the number of workers in the city, they do not want to attract more investors to the point of creating a shortage of workforce.
“We do not want to go ahead of the market because the key predictor is talent development. Without it, the market cannot grow as fast,” he said.
Matunog added they are also assessing the schools’ curricula to produce the right talents who will meet the skills requirements of companies.
To eradicate the digital divide in the countryside, 18 out of the 24 municipalities in Mindanao who participated in the Livex 2015 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Science and Technology for the implementation of Technology for Education (Tech4Ed) on Thursday.
Tech4Ed Project “provides access points for individuals and communities to bridge the digital and education divide. It promotes grassroots development and opportunities for inclusive growth and poverty reduction.” (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
