Bacaoco: Skills training is the way to go

IN MY column last Friday titled "Where are the skilled workers?", I cited a report published by global recruitment and staffing firm Manpower, Inc regarding the shortage of skilled workers worldwide.

I pointed out that the Philippines has the manpower to fill the global shortage. What government needs to do is transform these idle hands into productive highly-skilled laborers who are tailor-fit to fill the industry specific needs around the world.

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On the same day that the abovementioned column was published, I received a reaction thru email from a friend (Anybody who reacts favorably to what I write immediately becomes a friend!) who identified himself as Thomas Copfer. Here's what he said: "What you say is so correct. Allowing the young people to educate themselves in specific trades always will profit a country. It will minimize crime, poverty, and those little emotional issues - such as depression and anger - all of which cause more physical illness in a person and demoralize a country."

Thomas continued: "The issue is not if the Philippines can afford to give the people specific education but it is: The Philippines can NOT afford not to do it! GOOD ARTICLE."

Thank you very much for your email, Thomas.

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One of the quickest ways for the country to strengthen the economy is for increased infusion of money from abroad.

Foreign direct investments should answer that need but, after the hostage-taking foul-up, you can't expect foreigners to come flocking to Philippine shores with their investments. Another factor to consider is that, in this post-Lehman Brothers era, the biggest investors are now the Chinese.

For now, the outlook for foreign direct investments does not appear to be favorable. The country has to look for other sources but it does not have to look far. The ever-dependable OFWs are there. Last year, remittances from the approximately 1.2 million OFWs reached more than US$17 billion.

Most Filipinos look at overseas employment as the quick solution to improve their family's quality of life. The opportunity is there but must fit their skills to the demands of the industries abroad.

Government has the right idea with the TESDA scholarships but its politicized implementation watered down the program's impact.

PNoy's administration should revive the program and purge it of politics. It should focus on retooling of OFW skills so that they can return abroad and send home money to fuel the economy. It should also encourage idle college graduates to gain highly employable technical skills to make them productive.

Most important, government should seek out deserving youths from depressed barangays and provide them with free skills training and allowances to ensure that they have transport money and something to eat when they attend classes.

When one of these disadvantaged youths land a well-paying job abroad, he can help his family and provide the same opportunities to his siblings.

His family's purchasing power will increase and the money can trickle down to the community sari-sari store, to the local sand and gravel dealer and to the neighborhood workers who will undertake the renovation of the house or construction of a new building.

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Government is also on the right tack when it espoused technical skills training for high school students. However, increasing the number of years of elementary and secondary education from ten years to 12 years is not the right approach.

Don Bosco schools all over the country integrate skills training in the academic instruction and spiritual formation of their students. The Salesians of Don Bosco accomplished this holistic approach within the ten-year study cycle.

I finished my secondary education in Don Bosco-Victorias in 1985, the year much-remembered in the sugar industry for the collapse of world sugar prices which prompted most sugar mills to fold up. Those were the days of the "Batang Negros".

Don Bosco back then was fully subsidized by Vicmico. Thus, the Salesians had no money worries and they can focus solely on our education. Unfortunately, Don Bosco-Victorias now has to survive on its own income but that's another story.

When we graduated from Don Bosco, we were skilled either in computer operations, electronics servicing or in machine shop technology. Machine shop graduates were proficient in lathe and milling machine operations, electric arc and oxy-acetylene welding and in electrical works.

Because of the challenging times which almost caused the demise of the sugar industry back then, some of us were unable to proceed to college but we were able to work in machine shops and other places where our skills were needed. We became full-time workers immediately after high school graduation and we enjoyed higher rates than our other unskilled co-workers.

Skills training can and must be done during high school under the existing ten year education cycle. No need to add another two years to basic education.

(For reactions and suggestions, email bbacaoco@yahoo.com.)