Close to 140,000 Jobseekers Hired on the Spot at DOLE Job Fairs

Close to 140,000 jobseekers were able to find employment in more than 1,800 job fairs nationwide, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

In a statement, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that a total of 139,620 were hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) by the participating employers during the job fairs held in the last 10 months.

From July 2016 to May 2017, DOLE has conducted 1,864 nationwide job fairs, which were attended by 769,354 jobseekers.

On the other hand. 1.8 million applicants were able find jobs through the Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs); and the more than 220,000 youth who were assisted with their school-to-work transition.

“We are optimistic in our employment situation. Our collective efforts are manifested by the results of the latest Labor Force Survey that showed decline in the unemployment (5.7 percent) and underemployment rates (16.1 percent) in the country. However, we need to sustain our efforts to strengthen decent work gains and address the remaining employment challenges,” said Bello.

The DOLE, through the PESOs, has also referred for placement a total of 2.18 million qualified jobseekers, and 83 percent, or 1.80 million of them were employed.

As of date, there are already 458 institutionalized PESOs, which provide job search assistance, career guidance, labor market information, and job matching and referral at the local government level.

To provide employment opportunities to the Filipino youth, DOLE, through the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), implements the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), the Government Internship Program (GIP), and the JobStart Philippines Program.

A total of 195,638 poor but deserving students, out-of-school youth, and dependents of displaced workers were given the opportunity to continue their education through SPES – an employment-bridging program aimed at providing beneficiaries with short-term job opportunities during summer and/or Christmas vacation or any time of the year.

Meanwhile, 26,073 Filipino college graduates were provided with internship experience in the government through GIP.

The GIP aims to enhance the employability of young and talented graduates by training them in government service. Most of the GIPs were assigned to the frontline and technical support services.

The DOLE has also provided young Filipinos not in employment, education, or training (NEET) with full-cycle employment facilitation services through the JobStart program.

A total of 2,247 youth beneficiaries enrolled in the 10-day life skills training (LST), and there are those who found jobs during or after undergoing the LST, while others moved on to the technical skills training of up to three months and the company-based internships of up to six months. (Ferdinand G. Patinio/PNA)