PAGADIAN CITY, December 3 (PIA) - - To address issues on labor market imperfections especially on job-skills mismatch, the Department of Labor and Employment has organized a network of guidance counselors (GCNet) to partner with them in giving career and employment services not only to high school and college students but to parents as well.
“Today, we come together to find solutions to ease job-skills mismatch and to ensure that our labor force is globally competitive,” DOLE Assistant Regional Director Virginia L. Bonbon said during the opening program of the three-day Career Guidance and Employment Coaching Training Workshop for guidance counselors and coordinators held at Mardale Hotel and Convention Center on November 27-29.
Mary Jane B. Omandam, ZamboSur GCNet president said school heads and principals were also invited to get their commitment and support and to promote career guidance as a relevant tool in youth development, contributing to the prosperity and welfare of the nation.
“Getting it all done is an enormous task for us alone in the department. We need partners and that is what we found in you,” DOLE Regional Director Sisinio B. Cano made it clear to the guidance counselors and school heads.
RD Cano said that forging a partnership with the Department of Education will propel the youth to pursue a career that is marketable and globally competitive.
Highlighting the three-day activity was the MOA signing between DOLE and DepEd which was inked by RD Sisinio B. Cano and Tornito M. Gomintad, OIC Schools Division Supt. – DepEd Province as well as Dr. Elsa R. Cruz, City Schools Asst. Division Superintendent.
The MOA states, among others, that DOLE will provide labor market information to institutions on a regular basis through the GCNet members while DepEd will assess the skills and inclinations of students to enable them to make more effective career decisions.
Other relevant topics discussed during the training workshop were: Project Jobs Fit DOLE 2020 Vision and Labor Market Information – Ma. Eloisa S. Idris, DOLE 9; State of the Labor Market in the Local Arena – Engr. Joseph Isaias Quipot IV, Pagadian City PESO Manager; Integration of Career Guidance in the K to 12 Program – Gilbert A. Celesio, St. Columban High School Principal;
Priority Courses in the Higher Education – Dr. Emmylou B. Yanga, CHED Regional Director; Career Path in Trade Skills – Dr. Don Patrick Dalid of Tesda 9; and Presentation of Good Practices of the ZamPen GCNet Inc. by its president, Ermah Sheila L. Roble.
As RD Cano quoted the famous words of Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success,” achieving their shared aspiration of assisting the youth in choosing education, training and occupational choices – getting people with the right skills in the right job would not be far off, thus providing meaningful employment services. (ALT-PIA9, ZamboSur)