MANILA - Microsoft Philippines said it has launched a program with the Department of Education and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines which aims to raise the employability of senior high school graduates.

Citing a survey, Microsoft said 20 percent of senior high school graduates in the country enter the labor force immediately which translates to a "considerable digital skills gap."

The program called "Building Impactful Resume and Professional Brand Online" will introduce initiatives to "complement the K to 12 basic education program" to prepare students with skills for the modern workplace, it added.

Students who will earn a certificate from the completion of the program by DepEd, ECOP and Microsoft will be given a higher chance of being employed by ECOP member companies, the statement said.

"As employers, we hire and put value on skills and certifications. As an example, a senior high school graduate looking for work with a Microsoft 365 certification or Team’s administrator certification would put that graduate on top of any HR list for hiring," said ECOP chair of the Job Creation Committee Ferdinand Ferrer said.

"As evidence, practically all jobs require a level of digital competency," Ferrer added.

Senior high school graduates who have completed the training will have more opportunities in digital productivity, computer science, cloud, artificial intelligence and data science - which are the foundation of today's most in-demand global jobs, DepEd Usec. for Digital Productivity Alain Del Pascua said.

Microsoft is committed to supporting the digital transformation of 23 million students and close to 900,000 DepEd teachers, said Microsoft Philippines Public Sector Director Joanna Velez Rodriguez.

Online training programs on communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, empathy, presentation skills, interview tips and workplace ethics are available to learners.

Microsoft said it would work with DepEd to extend the program to Grade 10 and 11 learners and to ensure skilling and certification support for over 5 million DepEd junior and senior high school students every year.

An internship and immersion program will also be available in collaboration with DepEd, Department of Labor and Employment and the business sector.

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