The Philippines needs to invest in high quality skills training if it wants its workforce to be able to take advantage of the 24 million new jobs that will be created because of climate change and changes in technology.
At the opening of the Knowledge Exchange Forum on Competency Standards organized by the Philippine Business for Education on August 20, 2023, International Labor Organization Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan warned, however, that six million jobs will be lost because of the climate change transition.
“In this age when technological changes, most recently artificial intelligence, demographic transitions, climate change, has changed the way we work, we are all reminded of how we need to step up our efforts in training and upskilling our workers,” Hassan said.
For the Philippines, its workforce can benefit from new jobs arising from energy transition projects such as onshore and offshore wind energy generation.
The Knowledge Exchange Forum is part of the Skills for Prosperity Project in the Philippines funded by the UK Government and implemented by the ILO that will close in September.
British Embassy Manila’s Leonina Morillo said the project allowed for the collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to improve the training and upskilling of the workforce.
ILO Skills Specialist Akiko Sakamoto said the forum gives participants the opportunity to reflect, learn, and discuss and determine the best way forward in developing skills training, improving the curriculum, and reinforcing the technical vocational education and training (TVET) programs.
Labor market information is important for skills needs assessment needed in strengthening TVET programs. PBEd has organized industry leaders and experts to publish labor market information reports needed to raise competency standards and build demand driven training and upskilling programs.
