Employers still unsure on hiring K-12 graduates

BY THE MANILA TIMES

APRIL 19, 2018

HOME / BUSINESS / EMPLOYERS STILL UNSURE ON HIRING K-12 GRADUATES

Implementation of the K-12 program has not significantly raised the hiring chances of fresh graduates, a
jobs portal reported on Wednesday.

Jobstreet’s 2018 Fresh Graduate Report, which tracked job postings and results of a survey of employers,
found 35 percent of the respondents saying they were not ready to employ graduates of the extended
basic education program, which was implemented in stages beginning 2011.

K-12 graduates are supposed to be ready for employment and the first Grade 12 batch will graduate this
year.

Forty-one percent of the respondents said they were undecided about hiring K-12 graduates and just 24
percent replied “yes”. Employers, however, “can only claim to have some knowledge” of the program
based on a self-assessment, Jobstreet said.

Over a third, or 36 percent, said that available jobs were for college graduates only; 25 percent said K-12
graduates were not qualified, 20 percent claimed to have no openings for any position, and 16 percent
cited the lack of work experience.
Of the undecided, 60 percent said they were still evaluating the company’s readiness and the availability
of positions while the rest replied that they had yet to set a definite timeline for hiring Grade 12
graduates.

The business process outsourcing (21 percent), manufacturing (16 percent) and professional services
sectors (12 percent) were the most open to hiring K-12 graduates, and overall those who said “yes” said
the top positions available involved administrative, customer service, and marketing duties.

Attitudes/work ethics would be the primary condition for hiring, followed by interpersonal and
communications skills.

Half of the respondents said they would be willing to pay minimum wages to K-12 graduates with
another fourth ready to offer above minimum to P12,000 per month. Twenty percent was willing to offer
salaries ranging from P12,001-15,000 and just 1 percent was willing to pay more than P20,000.

The rates are much lower than those available for college graduates and Jobstreet said that law-related,
public relations and communications, and journalism/editing positions would pay the most at P27,355,
P24,675 and P22,446 per month, respectively.

Based on job postings from October to December 2017, positions for fresh graduates increased by 10
percent last year with the outsourcing firms still the most welcoming, accounting for 45 percent of total
jobs available. This was down significantly, however, from the 66 percent recorded in 2016.

“This shows that more and more employers and opening their doors to fresh graduates, presenting a
significant shift in what employers need in these increasingly digital world,” said Philip Gioca, Jobstreet
Philippines country manager.

The average salary for those with less than one year of experience also rose last year to P19,785 per
month from P19,437.
Employers in the National Capital Region on average offered the most at P19.984 while the lowest rate
was P12,247 in Northern Mindanao.

Based on a February 2017 survey of employers, meanwhile, 74 percent of the respondents said they
hired fresh graduates in 2017, mostly for accounting/finance, administrative and operations-related
positions.

Attitude/work ethic remained the top hiring condition, followed by communications skills and practical
thinking that replaced 2016’s field of study and asking salary preferences.

Willingness to learn, personal grooming and working in a team were rated as the best qualities of fresh
graduates while leadership skills were among those that need improvement the most.

The top three schools from which employers hired fresh graduates were the Polytechnic University of
the Philippines, the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University.

Two schools from the provinces — the University of San Carlos and the University of Cebu — made it to
the top 10.

WITH A REPORT FROM LISBET K. ESMAEL