The mobile office of the International Skill Development, Inc.'s 'Jobs-on-Wheels'

What makes a highly-regarded overseas Filipino worker? Only four things: adequate knowledge, well-trained skills, experience in the field of work, and the trait of a hard worker.

However, despite having all of these, some Filipinos who want to work abroad can’t get hired immediately because they can’t afford the cost of overseas recruitment – processing, placement, and other agency fees, even the fare to get to the agency.

As a way of addressing this difficulty, land-based recruitment company International Skill Development, Inc. (ISD) has launched the program “Jobs-on-Wheels,” a first in the recruitment industry. This program aims to bring overseas job orders closer to applicants in Luzon endorsed by Public Employment Services Office (PESO) but can’t come to Manila due to financial difficulties.

“Jobs-on-Wheels” makes use of a vehicle that serves as a mobile office equipped with an Internet-ready computer that has access to ISD’s office network, a printer, and a photocopier – equipment commonly used in recruitment agencies to facilitate job applications. These allow applicants to fill out the company’s online application form found on its website, secure some of the requirements, and inquire about the latest job offers abroad. Apart from this, the field officers can also conduct interviews with the applicants in the mobile office under the approval and supervision of PESO authorities of the place this program will visit.

“Jobs-on-Wheels” is not actually a new program. ISD started this program in 2005 with only an all-utility vehicle equipped with a paging system used just to announce schedules of interview that they would conduct at different PESO offices in Luzon. The problem with the original program was often they could not find a place inside the PESO offices that was conducive to interview, hence the creation of the mobile office.

To further help applicants, ISD doesn’t collect placement and other processing fees, as its client-companies are the ones paying for the recruitment and documentation fees of each workers deployed. ISD also shoulders the trade test and medical expenses of the applicants, whether they pass or fail.

The new “Jobs-on-Wheels” program was first implemented last November 29 in Limay, Bataan. Out of 224 applicants, 44 are now under process. Deployment of workers will take place in January-February 2010.