Qualified college graduates rare - BPOs

MANILA, Philippines - Business process outsourcing (BPO) firms are still struggling to find qualified workers from the ranks of graduates of Philippine colleges and universities.

An assessment report submitted by the Universal Access to Competitiveness and Trade (UACT), the research think-tank of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), showed that only a miserably low percentage of college graduate-applicants screened by Filipino and multinational BPO firms were actually hired because of inadequate English proficiency and other required skills.

“For every 100 applicants, only six to 10 percent are effectively recruited and deployed for an entry level job,” UACT’s findings on the country’s Offshoring and Outsourcing (O&O) Industry showed.

The group’s assessment report on the Philippine labor sector was submitted to the Presidential Task Force on Education (PTFE), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“Although the Philippines has been known for its English proficient workforce, most applicants in MNCs (multinational corporations) including BPOs were found with lower proficiency levels in English,” UACT further revealed.

UACT noted that the O&O sector could be a good job provider for thousands of unemployed college graduates since BPO firms require college graduates for entry-level positions.