Challenges in the World of Unemployment

Among the college graduates of every educational institution, few will have the rightjob, anumber will be underemployed, and, sad to say, many will enter the world ofunemployment. Every year the significant gap between the statistics of college graduates andemployment seems to grow by the day. College courses are subject to public perception, in terms of the availability of work, at a period of time. Students would take up a specific course thinking they could easily find employment after graduation. They may not realize that those courses which may provide good employment opportunities this year, may not be in demand four years from now.

This article aims to give information regarding facts about the labor andeducational status in the Philippines. Also, it aims to direct job seekers particularly fresh collegegraduates by presenting discussion about course threats and job hunting.

Currently the country has a record of employment rate of 92.7%, underemployment rate of19.8% as a percentage of employment, and unemployment rate of 7.4% as of April 2010. (NSOLabor Force Survey). Unemployment in the country is mainly brought by poverty, long recordof unemployment, political instability, and corruption which undoubtedly results to an attemptof going overseas.

According to UNESCO Institute of Statistics(UIS) only 27 out of 100 Filipinos havecompleted at least tertiary education. The sad thing is that many of our college graduates haveended up working as domestic helpers or as caregivers, jobs which are by all means decent, but does not really need complete formal college education.

College course benefits have their own corresponding threats in regards to theirdemands of employment. Medical courses, particularly Nursing, are very in demand today butpotentials of immediate decline is apparent. Teacher Education, up to now, isreally at slow pace because of non vacancy in both public and private schools. Poverty andeconomic crisis in the country weakens the trends of Business-related courses whichsimultaneously affects the demand for all Commerce courses. Obsolescence is the main enemyto all Computer-related courses, while scarcity of resources threatens Engineering courses.

Applying for the right job is not the answer for the growing number of unemployedpopulation, mainly because one can never seek for a job when no job vacancies are beingoffered. Job application is viewed independently, meaning the burden and the problem isnot situated on finding a job itself but rather on the shoulder of applicants.

The only time applying for a job becomes a reason for unemployment is when applicantsfailed to consider the importance of good educational background, good character image andpositive thinking. So, it is essential that at thestart of college years, one must be veryconcerned and highly conscious of possible future events that could influence the shifts in employment, unemployment, and underemployment.

Fresh college graduates have only three paths to choose after graduation: the path ofemployment, underemployment and unemployment. College students' view of future successin their chosen field of profession is inevitably backed up by the presence of ambiguity in taking a specific course. Job application isdefinitely not a remedy for the unemployment in the country, but rather must be seen by jobseekers as a weak spot which needs to be taken more seriously.

Finally, this article aims to instill in everybody's mind that there are problemswaiting after the most awaited graduation ceremony, by providing the current situation of thecountry's labor and educational sector, the threats of college courses and the essential requisitesof job application. This has the purpose to prepare candidates andpotential candidates for graduation about the unavoidable challenges waiting ahead.

"Many chances but few opportunities...
Many are struggling but few are determined enough...
Many are called but few are chosen.