BPO Call Center jobs to reach 1 million in 2010

My comment: English skills are important.....so study hard to be an excellent english speaker.

MANILA, Philippines - The booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country is expected to employ at least one million Filipinos by 2010, Malacañang said yesterday.

A Palace statement said that although BPOs started in the country in the 1990s, the industry "really took off" shortly after President Arroyo assumed power in 2001.

"From 4,000 in 2001, the number of BPO workers reached 350,000 in 2007, spurred on in part by the country's stable economic environment and by aggressive marketing abroad by the President," the Palace said.

"There were 400,000 workers as of February 2009. It is estimated that by 2010, available jobs will be 900,000 despite the ongoing global economic slowdown," the statement reads.

It said Mrs. Arroyo put up the "Cyber-Corridor" information and communications technology (ICT) channel running the length of the Philippines that interconnects BPO service centers all over the country, "to efficiently bring together cyber service providers and BPO locators."

"The goal is to employ one million workers by 2010," the statement said.

The sector's future growth can be traced in part to the country's two-pronged strategy. While the country will continue to offer voice-activated services, which require facility in English as well as other languages, it will also branch out to non-voice services such as medical transcription and animation as well as to the more lucrative development of software.

The President said the fast development of the BPO industry in the country is an example of an industry that nobody ever thought before would become a driver of growth.

"This is an example of what I said that we want to create jobs so that, for (Filipinos), it will be a career choice to go abroad and not the only choice," Mrs. Arroyo has said in her speeches.

As of end of 2008, the sector generated $6.1 billion in revenues and is projected to reach $13 billion in 2010. This is only 6.7 percent of the estimated $326 billion global ICT outsourcing market, according to data issued by the Canada-based ICT research and advisory firm XMG Global.

The Philippines is the third top performing offshore country in the Asia Pacific, next to India and China. The Philippines is aiming for a 10 percent market share as it sells its many advantage to companies in the United States and Europe, the Palace statement said.

"These includes a steady supply of competent and educated workers, improving telecommunications infrastructures, and government incentives," it said.

Although the majority of BPO companies are located in Metro Manila, there is a marked migration into other key economic centers of the country such as in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Subic, Bacolod and Baguio, to either be closer to their employee base or, in part, to keep their costs, such as leases, as low as possible.

To further aid the sunrise industry, government has allocated P350 million for a training program called PGMA-Training for Work Scholarship Program (PGMA-TSWP) through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in partnership with the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP). The training program does not only cover English
language proficiency but also the use of computers.

"Likewise, government is offering significant fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to attract more foreign direct investments, primarily through its Cyber Corridor project, which is part of the President's 10-point agenda," it said.

DOLE: Pinoys have better jobs
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that Filipinos have better jobs now despite the lingering effects of the financial crisis.

DOLE officials said the quality of employment has improved for Filipinos as indicated by results of the latest National Statistics Office (NSO) Survey.

Based on the July 2009 Labor Force Survey (LFS), DOLE said the number of wage and salary workers rose by 1.3 million compared to the same period last year, while the number of persons in full-time employment increased by half a million.

DOLE further noted that except for the Bicol region, employment rate in all regions posted growth with the National Capital Region (NCR) positing the highest gain of 142,000 more workers.

DOLE is currently developing a new skills registry system in an effort to make it easier for the government to assess the demand for skills in the labor market.

Acting Secretary Romeo Lagman said the envisioned skills registry has been piloted in select regions, provinces, cities and municipalities, and its full implementation will kick off in October.

Lagman said the planned National Skills Registry System (SRS) will combine the existing skills registries of PhilJob.net and the Public Employment Service Office. He said the SRS is a computerized system which captures and updates in a register skills and qualifications of interested workers.

The system also lists down establishments and their job vacancies in the community for quick access by jobseekers and employers, both local and foreign.

Unlike the existing skills registries of PhilJob.net and the PESOs, the SRS is live and dynamic because it will be regularly updated and tied up to the relevant educational background of jobseekers and the needs of the employers.

"Ultimately, the SRS will solve the country's perennial problem of jobs
mismatch," Lagman said.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=507236

Comelec needs 50,000 IT workers

MANILA, Philippines—At least 50,000 information technology personnel are needed for next year’s automated national elections, a Commission on Elections official said Wednesday.

Election Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said in a news briefing that Smartmatic TIM Corp., the automated elections contractor, was hiring about 40,000 IT workers to help in the country’s biggest IT project.

The Smartmatic TIM personnel will do mainly technical support work. They will help in the maintenance and operations of the ballot scanners, officially called Precinct Count Optical Scan machines, on May 10.

Some will be deployed to the field, while some will work in the company’s call center to respond to technical questions.

At the same time, the Comelec and the Department of Science and Technology are currently training a total of 500 IT experts to train and accredit the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI), Larrazabal said.
The Comelec will use 82,000 scanners in next year’s elections.

To ensure that the operations will be smooth on election day, the poll body has ordered that at least one member of the BEI should have IT knowledge and training on how to handle the scanners.
The poll body has coordinated with the local IT industry for its personnel requirements, he said.
The Comelec said it will field 100 IT-knowledgeable organic personnel to various municipalities and cities to supervise the poll proceedings.

Volunteers from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the Comelec’s citizens’ arm, will also train for the project.

All the IT workers will be accredited by the DOST.

Bonifacio Belen, Smartmatic TIM manager, said the company last week held a workshop to develop methods on hiring and training of personnel. The company will start training the employees in January next year.
He said the company was optimistic there would be enough workers for the project.

“There is no shortage of patriotic and IT-savvy Filipinos who want to be part of history,” he said.
Smartmatic TIM has tapped manpower firms Placewell, Manred, and Ventureslink to hire the support personnel. Applicants are advised to send their resumes to the said agencies.

Meanwhile, Larrazabal said the Comelec has directed the election contractor to ensure that its workers do not have partisan streaks.

Applicants for key positions will undergo background checks, Larrazabal said.
Under the Comelec’s rules, only BEI members can handle the election and voting machines. Smartmatic TIM employees will only advise the BEI members should the machines malfunction.

Larrazabal said the Smartmatic TIM will carefully screen applicants and make them sign an affidavit stating that they do not have political connections.

The employees will not be assigned to areas where they are from, he added. Read original article here http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20091110-235433/Comelec-needs-50000-IT-workers

Placewell www.philippinecompanies.com/.../placewell-international-services-corporationprivate-employment-agency

Manred www.manredphilippines.com/

Where the Jobs Will Be Next Year in USA and probably Philippines too?

Where the Jobs Will Be Next Year in USA and probably Philippines too?

Where will you be in 2010? With an economy on the mend and renewed optimism towards job creation, many are considering upgrading their education and job status. With the right education, you could be among the successful job seekers in 2010.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) listed its occupations with the largest number of total job openings due to growth and net replacements from 2006 through 2016. Check out a few of the jobs that made the cut, and find out how you can use career training to secure a new position.

Career #1: Registered Nurses
This popular health care career tops the list with an amazing amount of projected growth. Over a million new jobs for registered nurses are expected to open up through 2016. And unlike some medical careers, you don’t need to work through years of medical school; some registered nurses earn an associate’s degree. The BLS reports that registered nurses earned mean annual wages of $65,130 in 2008, making nursing a caring career with real rewards.

Career #2: Child Care Workers
Working with children means having a fun and engaging career with a high level of potential job growth. About 646,000 new jobs are expected to open up through 2016. While entry level jobs in child care may be found with brief certification or on-the-job training, more lucrative management positions may require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in child care management. Preschool education administrators earned mean annual wages of $46,370 in 2008, the BLS reports.

Career #3: Accounting Clerks
The clerks who assist accountants are expected to enjoy some job growth; about 594,000 new jobs through 2016. While fully licensed accountants typically need a bachelor’s degree plus certification, accounting clerks typically need only an associate’s degree in accounting. The BLS reports that accounting clerks earned mean annual wages of $33,800 in 2008. Earn your degree online, and you might not need to make any changes to your current work schedule while you train.

Career #4: Executive Secretaries
Far from an ordinary secretarial job, this career comes with the distinction of working at the top of the secretarial career ladder. Executive secretaries perform high-level administrative support, working closely with executives and other top staff. Training and supervisory duties are often expected, and executive secretaries often hold at least an associate’s degree in office administration. These trained pros earned mean annual wages of $42,340 in 2008, according to the BLS, and about 497,000 new careers are expected to open up through 2016.

Career #5: Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
If you have some retail work experience and you’re looking for a leg up, take heart; this is one career with a lot of growth potential. The BLS projects that about 352,000 new jobs for retail sales supervisors are expected to open up through 2016. What’s more, the degree profile for the job is somewhat broad, meaning that the type of bachelor’s degree you earn doesn’t matter as much as the fact of the degree itself. For the most competitive management careers, a master’s degree in business may be recommended. Supervisors of retail sales workers earned mean annual wages of $39,910 in 2008, the BLS notes.

Students Consider Online Career Training
Thinking of training for some of the hottest jobs of the future? Completing your career training online has specific benefits. You can attend school and study on your time without the hassle of travel and required classroom attendance. Many full-time workers even choose to keep their jobs while studying online.

While no degree can guarantee a particular career or salary, the practical training you’ll receive in an online associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree program can give you the preparation you need to compete for these popular future careers. Even though hundreds of thousands of new jobs are expected to open up, you should always be prepared to experience competition for the best careers. Completing career training beforehand helps you face that competition.

“I hope that someday that the I.T world can be or will be the number one career here in the Philippines. I want that to happen for technology to be more known and at the same time people are to enroll to an I.T specialist school like DLS-CSB” Read the complete original story here http://vertsol.org/?p=3171

Production Techician Cebu Mitsumi

Cebu Sunstar classified November 1, 2009 click to make larger

Cebu Service Crew

Cebu Sunstar classified November 1, 2009 click to make larger

Philippine Emergency job program to hire 93,000 workers

MANILA, Philippines – Government agencies will hire some 93,000 unemployed or underemployed Filipinos this year for a P1.77-billion roadside maintenance program in line with President Arroyo’s call for agencies to strengthen the country’s economic foundation in the face of continuing uncertainties in the global economy and international labor markets, Malacañang announced yesterday.

National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Domingo Panganiban said the move was in line with the development plans of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Arroyo emergency job plan under the Economic Resiliency Program (ERP).

“The country’s national roads are essential to the strength and stability of the economy, helping to encourage investments and create jobs for a vast number of the Filipino poor,” Panganiban said.
“While experts have noted signs of recovery in the global economy, now is not the time for complacency,” the NAPC chief said. “We are still in the thick of what is probably the worst economic slump in modern history.”

NAPC, which is under the Office of the President, oversees the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP), launched by Mrs. Arroyo in October 2008 to address the need for new jobs as a result of the global economic meltdown.

The Arroyo government has assured the availability of jobs and employment opportunities for poor Filipinos amid the global economic slowdown through the employment program.
The President has cited ERP and CLEEP as priority programs that the government is vigorously implementing.

Mrs. Arroyo had said that local government units (LGUs), in partnership with the private sector, are working doubly hard in creating and maintaining jobs as well as in investing on vital infrastructures, livelihood programs and other economic activities that will help generate more employment.
Panganiban said the new hires would work on some 30,000 kilometers of national roads under the Out of School Youth Towards Economic Recovery (OYSTER) program of the DPWH.
“The workers will see to the maintenance of around 30,000 kilometers of national roads under OYSTER Program of the DPWH,” Panganiban said.

Panganiban said the DPWH had already met a considerable portion of its emergency employment targets and was able to hire 42,930 workers for various roadside maintenance projects nationwide as of Sept. 30 this year.

He said the government plans for the employment of some 59,968 roadside maintenance workers in Luzon while 14,120 more laborers are put to work in roadside projects in the Visayas.
“Another 19,120 workers will be employed in roadside maintenance projects across the island-region of Mindanao,” Panganiban said. Read the original article here http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=519636&publicationSubCategoryId=63