College graduates’ skills do not fit available job vacancies, apparently the reason we have a high unemployment rate.

With this situation, an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) expressed concern Saturday that many of the graduates do not satisfy the industry needs.

Evelyn Dacumus, officer-in-charge in labor market information, research and career guidance advocacy division of the Bureau of Labor and Employment (BLE), said local and overseas employers continue to grumble over lack of employable graduates even with plenty of job vacancies.

“Many of the graduates are still not ready for the world of work. Marami tayong vacancies at marami ding unemployed. Hindi talaga sila nagmi-meet (“We have lots of vacancies and unemployed. They don’t simply meet),’’ said Dacumus.

“Dapat talaga malaman natin kung ano ba ang dapat natin punuan para ma-address itong mismatch. Merong dapat gawin ang lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno,” she added. (“We should be able to identify the areas that need to be filled to address the mismatch. Each concerned agency has to do its share.”)

Data from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) showed that more than three million students are graduating this March to April. Of the number, some 500,000 are college graduates and those in post and pre-baccalaureate programs.

Industry data showed that barely half of the total graduates get jobs immediately after graduation. In the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, for example, only three of every 100 new college graduates are hired yearly “due to their failure to pass competitive qualifying exams.”

Citing latest data gathered from the three jobs port – PhilJobnet, Jobstreet and JobsDB - Dacumus said that 97.5 percent of the jobs available from 2010 onwards are in cyber services.

Among the top 20 vacancies identified by the industries are call center agent, customer service assistant, technical support staff, pharmacists, information technology, developer and/or programmer, accounting clerk, call center representative, cashier, web designer, accountant, customer care representative or associate, accounting representative, sales executive or sales officer/specialist, production planner, human resource development planner and engineer.

In the Phil-Jobnet alone, DoLE's online job site partner, it showed that some 125, 000 local and overseas job vacancies are still open and yet to be filled by qualified applicants.

Dacumus said the DoLE expects the graduates to possess the needed skills and knowledge relevant to the employment.

She clarified, however, that the DoLE does not provide jobs to people but only serves as “employment facilitator.’’

“Nasa tail end kami as far as employment facilitation is concerned. We are expecting that by the time na nag-graduate na ang mga students, they are already prepared for the world of work,’’ she said.

Earlier, the labor department launched Project Jobs Fit to identify the needed skills of future employment generators.

The project intends to address the perennial jobs and skills mismatch and youth unemployment in the country.

It is also expected to guide the education sector and the concerned stakeholders in the formation of appropriate curricula and career materials and the provision of training and educational scholarships aimed at meeting the skills requirement of industry.

As a initial step, Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque has mobilized the DoLE regional offices to identify the requirements of the industry all over the country and to work closely with the academe and other stakeholders concerned to push the program further.

Dacumus said it is central to heighten partnerships and establish a network of guidance counselors who will guide the students on their future endeavors.

She said the DoLE advocated that career guidance counselling would be started earlier than fourth year to expose the students on what career to take after college.