Today’s workplace is ever-changing, and students cannot rely on classroom learning to get a job. Employee expectations are changing due to factors such as technological innovation, global competition, and organizational transformation. This is why, in the Philippines, it is essential to equip the students with the proper skills they need for the job market.
This article aims to identify how Filipino students may be endowed with future skills, emphasizing the programming and coding skills deemed relevant in today’s job market.
Shifts in Employment and Unemployment
Modern employment is dynamic and has been shaped by various factors like automation, artificial intelligence, and the enhancement of digitalization in businesses.
As conventional jobs are transformed or even disappear, new positions are being created that demand other forms of competencies. Thus, students in the Philippines must be equipped with skills that will suit the present and future job market.
1. Digital Literacy: One of the Core Competency
Digital literacy is now an essential skill set in almost every occupation. It is more than just using the computer; it includes other skills such as using social networks, handling data and making sound judgments on information on the Internet. The students of the Philippines need to be digitally literate since they will work in the digital economy.
- Why It Matters: Many industries require employees to use digital tools and mediums daily. When working with online databases, participating in cloud-based projects, or e-shopping, digital literacy becomes the key to a better job search.
- How to Empower Students: Schools and universities should incorporate digital competency into their curriculum with practical sessions on using digital tools. Different activities, such as workshops, online courses, and practical assignments, can assist students in developing their skills in using technology to address practical problems.
2. Programming and Coding: Constructing Tomorrow
Technology is now a crucial part of our daily lives, and programming and coding are vital elements. As a result of advances across all industries, more and more people are needed to write code, design software, and build applications, like gambling software by Gamingtec. If pupils are educated in programming in the Philippines, they will have broad job prospects.
- Why It Matters: From tech startups to multi-national corporations, companies in the online gambling software provider industry are looking for people who can code to help them develop new ideas and solutions. Some of the common programming languages that are used in the job market include Python, Java, HTML/CSS, and the following are some of the careers that one can pursue after the completion of the course:
- How to Empower Students: Educational institutions should include coding courses in their regular curriculum or make them optional. Other measures, such as code camps, hackathons, or collaborations with technology firms, can also help students gain real-life experience and an understanding of the world of work. There are also websites that provide coding lessons and projects, which can be useful for independent learners.
3. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
In the age of information, when every piece of information is readily available, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are more precious than ever. Today’s employers seek people who can dissect data, think critically, and find ways to solve problems.
- Why It Matters: Problem-solving and critical thinking are vital in positions that involve decision-making, planning, project management, and creativity. Such skills can be applied in any organization, whether in the financial, health, education, or engineering sectors.
- How to Empower Students: Critical thinking and problem solving should be essential teaching strategies in schools. Some examples of skills that can be enhanced through case studies, group projects, and PBL include enabling students to ask questions, engage in debates, and think critically, which will also help develop students’ innovative mindsets.
4. Communication Skills: Persuasion Skills
Interpersonal skills are essential tools that any person in the workplace should acquire. Expressing ideas effectively and convincingly is necessary when writing a report, presenting a proposal, or working with a group of people.
- Why It Matters: Effective communication is a prerequisite for forming relationships, managing teams, and accomplishing projects and objectives. Of course, it is even more critical in the modern world, where people interact with each other across different cultures and through various channels.
- How to Empower Students: The curriculum should endeavor to enhance learners’ written and oral skills. This can be done through oral and written exercises, such as presentations, essays, and group debates. Giving students feedback and practicing communication in various scenarios will improve their performance.
5. Adaptability and Lifelong Learning: Relevance.
Technological advancement in the job market is fast; thus, the skills that are in demand now may not be in demand in the next few years. Therefore, flexibility and the willingness to learn throughout one’s working life are critical to career success.
- Why It Matters: Employees willing to learn and be flexible in their work are in a vantage position to manage career changes, challenges, and opportunities. This attitude is especially relevant in industries with high levels of dynamism and change because innovation is ongoing.
- How to Empower Students: This calls on educators to ensure that students change their perceptions and see learning as a continuous process. Sharing course materials, workshops, and other professional development resources can help students catch up with the current market trends and gain new skills. Promoting the growth mindset as a way of perceiving challenges as opportunities will also help strengthen the students’ resilience.
Digital literacy, programming, critical thinking, communication, and adaptability are areas that, if enhanced by educational institutions, will enable students to succeed in a competitive job market.
As technology remains an indispensable part of the market, the integration of these skills with students will make them capable of facing challenges and seizing future opportunities.
