PAAL Congress: Getting Filipinos ready to meet job demands in growing auto industry
The
local economy may be going through a few rough patches but there are bright
spots on the horizon. For one, the
Philippine automotive industry is slowly yet steadily growing, currently
producing 400,000 cars yearly versus 100,000 a decade ago. Annual car sales in the country are also
projected to reach one million units by 2028.
The increasing demand means the industry will make more cars, requiring
more quality engineers, technicians, specialists, and other professionals
within the decade.
With
the Philippine automotive sector becoming an employment hotspot, companies are
partnering with the public sector to raise awareness about the different
opportunities that jobhunters and educational institutions can maximize. Last September 28, the Philippine Auto
Industry-Academia Linkage (PAAL) Congress was conducted by a coalition of four
organizations – JobStreet Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry-Board
of Investments (DTI-BOI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and
Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP). The first-of-its-kind the country, the event
connected schools and training centers with automotive companies, bolstering
collaboration and cooperation towards future projects and programs that can
benefit more students, jobseekers, and businesses.
Preparing to meet higher demand
The
coalition estimates that by 2028, direct employment in the industry will grow
by 700,000 to 1.17 million more jobs.
Indirect employment will also increase, with many new jobs expected to
open in the production of car parts and materials, automotive sales and
maintenance, transport and storage, and petroleum stations. For these prospects to be optimized, the
industry needs to address the limited knowledge and on-the-job training
opportunities in the different companies, processes, and technical skills
involved in the car production chain; human resources’ difficulties in fielding
and finding candidates with suitable educational background; and the need for
schools and training centers to connect to a bigger and more beneficial network
of partners.
The
PAAL Congress thus brought together students, teachers, trainers, employers,
engineers, and executives in a series of learning and networking sessions. It aimed to help participants better
understand the industry as a whole – its different players, demands, and
standards; realize the career potential and different opportunities opening up
in the automotive sector; and enable car companies to offer more input in
schools’ curricula, thereby developing the right employee candidates in the
near future.
The
different talks by field experts offered an overview of the local industry,
sharing its realities, trends, potentials, job market needs, and future
goals. Participants also heard from
practitioners in a panel discussion and asked questions in a fruitful
Q&A. Later in the day was the career
and product exhibition that showcased the various companies in the automotive
supply chain and the different job options.
Resumes were also submitted and same-day interviews were held.
“There
are more than 100 companies in the industry’s supply chain. With the expected growth in the sector,
there’s going to be a lot of recruitment activity within the near future. Through the congress, the partnership has
opened bigger doors for dialogue and cooperation, which in turn will provide
the sector with valuable information and insights that can multiply opportunities
further. We at JobStreet Philippines
have been learning so much through this partnership, and we consider it a
pleasure to be able to use this knowledge to make the best-fitting matches
between even more employers and thousands of Filipino jobseekers. This partnership has empowered all of us here
to create and seek even more growth prospects for more people,” says Philip
Gioca, Country Manager of JobStreet Philippines.
More plans in the future
As a
post-event service and to ensure the long-range impact of the event, feedback
will be collected. Among the success
indicators are the number and quality of industry-academia partnerships that
were formed, job applications facilitated, increased interest and engagement in
auto industry careers, and regular communication among the participants who
connected with each other. Summaries of the speeches and discussions, tips and
other learnings will also be shared online to reach more people.
Gioca
adds: “It’s key to monitor the effect of this first congress to help us create
better and more effective career and learning experiences in the future. There
is unlimited potential in the technology-based skills and working attitude of
Filipinos and we will keep supporting them through diverse programs. We have
many more partnerships and activities planned.”
Over
50 educational and training institutions, 40 companies, and 800 individuals
joined the congress, which is also part of the Elaboration of Industrial
Promotion Plans using Value Chain Analysis project. The two-year pilot project
operated by JICA and DTI promotes the automotive industry through the
development and implementation of concrete policies and plans.
For
more information about JobStreet Philippines programs and events, visit www.jobstreet.com.ph.
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