Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Job search goes online in Subic By Anthony Bayarong
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT -- Internet technology is now being tapped in this Freeport for job matching between employers’ needs and job seekers.
So far, 48 employers offering more than 20 job types have "met" close to 1,600 jobseekers through the online job-skills matching system launched last Friday, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza.
The system, which allows the pooling and skills classification of available manpower, directly addresses the issue of job-skills mismatch and employment gaps, and, at the same time, assures present and future locators in the Freeport of readily available human resources with the skills and work background they need for their projects, Arreza said.
The hassle-free matchmaking system was developed by WOWCard Incorporated, a private firm that also launched the first-ever Internet-based job fair in this freeport, to complement the SBMA's intensive job creation program.
WOWCard president Victorino Quiton said for job applicants in Subic the whole job-hunting process has now been reduced to accomplishing a form that is uploaded to a database at www.job8s.com. This website then automatically searches for job openings that match the jobseekers’ qualifications.
He added that applicants who register at the website could also avail of featured services for free. These include on-line job search; on-line matching; on-line forum -- where jobseekers and employers may negotiate; data center support service; and even a short message service (SMS), which sends text messages about job openings that correspond to one's qualifications.
Ramon Agregado, SBMA senior deputy administrator for support services, meanwhile touted the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the system.
"Even job interviews can now be digitally archived and viewed anytime, like in YouTube," Agregado said, referring to the popular video-sharing website.
He said with the WOWCard system, digital information on applicants could be sent to participating employers, who, in turn, could inform jobseekers on the status of their application through SMS notification.
"Through this system, we can easily find the right job for the right person and for the right employer," Agregado added.
The job fair and online matching project has gained the support of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), the Public Employment Service Office (Peso), as well as Senator Richard Gordon and and Buhay partylist representative Carissa Coscoluella.
The SBMA said the coordination between employers and jobseekers will help the agency meet its target of 100,000 jobs by 2010 -- a realistic goal, officials say, since the active workforce in Subic already stood at more than 81,000 as of the end of August.
As requested by local government units (LGUs), the Internet-based job fair will be replicated in Olongapo City this week, in Zambales on October 9, and in Bataan on October 18. Similar job fairs will subsequently be brought to the Clark, Pampanga area.
"We are always stepping up efforts to sign in more businesses -- BPOs (business process outsourcing), call centers, manufacturing -- just about anything to match the abundant labor force in the Greater Subic Area, which includes Olongapo City, Zambales, and Bataan," Agregado said.
"With technology on our side -- and considering that for the past two years, SBMA has been averaging from 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs annually -- this goal is achievable," he said.
