Concepcion: Private sector can’t be mandated to hire K-12 grads

Former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Friday said the private sector cannot be mandated to hire K-12 graduates as the decision in hiring employees lies with employers.

During state-run PTV’s public briefing, Concepcion said that if K-12 graduates are qualified for the positions they apply for then "there’s no reason they cannot be hired."

However, he said that “we cannot mandate the private sector to hire K-12 if they are unqualified.”

“If they qualify for the job, I’m sure the private sector will hire them,” he added.

Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte had appealed to the business community to prioritize K-12 graduates in their recruitment as she lamented the “diploma mentality” in the country, in which employers prefer those who have finished a four-year college degree rather than a K-12 graduate.

“The final decision rests with the private sector. We have to respect that because they’re the ones who are hiring,” Concepcion said.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon earlier said that the K-12 system must be reviewed to take into consideration the rapid growth in technology.

“In the same breath, our teachers must be re-trained to keep pace with technological developments. Children now need connectivity to the internet; they need computers and modern educational tools so that they can participate fully in this digital world we now live in,” Barcelon said.

“It gives us comfort that no less than you, Vice President Sara, have taken the education portfolio. This gives us the assurance that reforms in the education sector will be implemented with urgency,” the PCCI chief said. — DVM, GMA News