Insider Spotlight
The issue has become more urgent as unemployment stood at 5 percent in October 2025, underscoring a paradox in the labor market: available jobs alongside a workforce that lacks the precise skills employers need.
Why it matters
Job mismatch continues to weigh on productivity and wage growth, particularly in high-demand sectors such as business process outsourcing, technology services, and digital operations.
While Filipinos remain eager to work, gaps in digital, technical, and assessment-ready skills prevent many from qualifying for roles that are already open.
Industry leaders say the solution lies not just in job creation, but in modernizing how skills are taught, tested, and verified.
What’s happening
A recent strategic signing in Bonifacio Global City highlighted this shift, as TechShake introduced Japanese e-learning platform learningBOX to Philippine educators and corporate leaders.
The partnership aims to provide secure digital assessments and structured training tools that support continuous learning and verified credentials.
More than a software rollout, the collaboration reflects a broader effort to align education with real-world workforce needs, ensuring that training outcomes match employer expectations.
What they’re saying
"This strategic signing represents an important milestone for learningBOX and TechShake," Shintaro Nishimura, director of learningBOX, said in a press statement.
"It reinforces our commitment to building purpose-driven partnerships that support the evolution of learning and development. We are signaling a shared vision: to collaboratively empower individuals and organizations through innovative, accessible, and future-oriented learning solutions," he added.
Between the lines
For educators, platforms like learningBOX address long-standing challenges in digital exams, including security, standardization, and scalability.
For employers, they offer a way to upskill workers quickly as roles evolve and new technologies are adopted.
The approach also supports hybrid and remote work models, where reliable online assessments and training modules are becoming essential.
What’s next
By strengthening links between education, technology, and industry, stakeholders hope to reduce structural unemployment and make the workforce more adaptable.
Leaders involved say sustained collaboration—rather than isolated training programs—will be key to ensuring Filipinos are not just employable, but competitive in a rapidly changing global market.
As the Philippines positions itself as a hub for skilled services, closing the skills gap may prove to be one of its most important economic priorities. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
