MORE than 1,800 jobseekers landed jobs on the spot through a series of sectoral job fairs led by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), underscoring the agency’s intensified efforts to expand access to jobs, particularly for vulnerable and priority groups.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the job fairs zeroed in on two priority sectors: displaced construction workers and graduating senior high school Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) students, along with Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners.
”This reflects a targeted, lifecycle-based approach to employment facilitation — addressing both workers reentering the labor force and first-time jobseekers transitioning from education to employment,” Laguesma said Wednesday.
For displaced construction workers, he said, the DOLE mounted job fairs in 14 regions on March 25, 26 and 30, offering nearly 29,000 vacancies in construction and related industries.
Laguesma added that out of 2,166 applicants, 395 were hired on the spot, delivering immediate income and stability. More construction-focused job fairs are lined up in May, including in the National Capital Region and Negros Island Region, to further expand opportunities in the sector.
Laguesma said that by concentrating on construction and allied industries, DOLE improved placement efficiency and accelerated worker redeployment, ensuring that applicants’ skills and experience aligned closely with current industry demand.
At the same time, DOLE partnered with the Department of Education to roll out job fairs for graduating TVL students and ALS learners nationwide.
Designed to ease the school-to-work transition, the initiative reached over 7,300 students and resulted in more than 1,700 hired on the spot, including new beneficiaries of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES). With over 43,000 vacancies offered, the fairs opened strong entry points for first-time jobseekers across multiple industries.
He added that the effort is part of DOLE’s continuing, calendarized job fair program, ensuring steady, nationwide access to opportunities for both jobseekers and employers through DOLE and Bureau of Local Employment platforms.
Laguesma said the Labor department continues to work closely with local government units, industry partners and relevant government agencies to expand employment opportunities, facilitate worker transitions and support recovery across affected sectors.
Key initiatives include the enhancement of its labor market information system — particularly the PhilJobNet online portal — to provide real-time, verified job postings for youth and other jobseekers, as well as intensified partnerships with Public Employment Service Offices, national government agencies, local government units, the private sector and social partners to expand the reach of job fairs and employment services nationwide through the Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Laguesma said the DOLE is also actively implementing and scaling up preemployment and internship programs such as the SPES, Government Internship Program and JobStart Philippines, while supporting the career development needs of students and first-time jobseekers.
He added that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), an attached agency of the DOLE, will likewise heighten and expand its scholarship programs as directed by the president to ensure that every Filipino family will have at least one child who completes a Tesda course to guarantee employability.