OVER 70 persons were hired on the spot during the Kalayaan Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Job Fair on Independenc Day, June 12.
According to Lorraine Ugsang, Employment Program Focal Person of the Department of Labor and Employment in Davao Region (Dole-Davao), a total of 73 people were hired on the spot (Hots) during the job fair held at NCCC Mall Buhangin.
The figure also includes Hots applicants during the pre-Kalayaan TNK Job Fair on June 10 and 11. Of the 73 Hots, 65 were employed by local employers and eight were hired with overseas employers.
A total of 822 applicants were registered during the job fair wherein 427 and 217 applicants qualified for local and overseas positions respectively. At the same time, 275 are already near hires.
Ugsang told SunStar Davao on Tuesday, June 14 that they will monitor the status of the near-hire applicants a month later, whether they have been hired or let go.
“Kulang lang yan sa interview (They just need to be interviewed), they need further assessment. So we have at least one month to monitor what will happen to these near hires, and what happened to their status,” Ugsang said during an interview.
The rest of the applicants who did not qualify for local or overseas positions can still join future job fairs.
“Wala lang nag match ang assessment sa employers sa qualifications sa applicant (The qualifications of the applicant did not match the assessment of the employers). We cannot force our employers to hire everybody who has joined,” she explained.
The Kalayaan TNK Job Fair is a hybrid event wherein applicants can register online and attend face-to-face interviews with employers, similar to the Labor Day TNK Job Fair on May 1, 2022.
However, the Kalayaan Job Fair also accepted walk-in applicants unlike the Labor Day Job Fair wherein walk-in applicants were not allowed
In the future, Ugsang said they are considering holding more job fairs in other venues nearer to far-flung communities to cater to those who cannot travel to the metro.
“Para ang katong naa sa mga (layo) (So for those who live far away), they can also participate. It will need additional logistics but we have to explore that possibility also para daghan pud ta ma-reach (so we can reach more people).” ICM