AMID the increasing number of Filipinos who have lost their jobs or are having a difficult time finding jobs because of the harsh economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday said at least 5,000 job vacancies are set to be offered during the government’s May 1 nationwide online job fair.
In a television interview, Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said 88 private sector employers offering around 5,000 positions have already registered for the Labor Day job fair to be held online across the country.
Tutay said the DOLE is expecting the numbers to still increase in the coming days leading to May 1.
“Between now until May 1, we will still be consolidating data from our regional offices and PESOs (Public Employment Service Offices),” she said.
The DOLE last week announced it will hold an online job fair nationwide in celebration of
Labor Day. Aside from the virtual fair, the agency said a job summit will also be conducted on May 1.
Tutay said the job summit aims to present the long-term plans of the government to help the labor sector recover from the coronavirus disease pandemic.
In particular, she cited their bid to retool displaced workers to make them qualified for the new demands of the labor market.
“We are looking at retooling and retraining our displaced workers because the labor market has already shifted, particularly to digital platforms,” said Tutay, adding: “Most employers will be looking at digital and communication skills. We all know that our workers need to transition also to the ones available in the market.”
The DOLE has tapped the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to help in the retraining of displaced workers.
