AT LEAST five lawmakers are pushing for a measure establishing job placement offices in public high schools to provide career services to the youth.

House Bill 9417 or the proposed Trabaho Centers in Schools Act was filed by Representatives Ralph Wendel Tulfo, Jocelyn Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, Edvic Yap and Eric Go Yap.

The solons explained that K to 12 curriculum has been developed to assist high school students with career development planning.

They added in their explanatory note that the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Track in the K to 12 education system specifically seeks to address the skills gap in the labor market, and intends to generate graduates who are well-prepared for work and have talents that are immediately applicable to numerous industries.

The TVL Track also provides options for entrepreneurship and self-employment.

However, the lawmaker added that it had been reported in the 2022 Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies that only a small proportion of Senior High School graduates were able to enter the labor force.

Likewise, only about 10 percent of SHS graduates for School Year 2017-2018 were employed, seven percent of which completed the TVL track while three percent completed the academic track.

The bill seeks to establish job placement offices or Trabaho Centers in public high schools all over the country to provide vital career counseling services to our young citizens, enabling them to make informed decisions about their future employment and contributing to the overall economic growth and stability of our nation.

Salient provisions of the proposed measure include the installation of a Trabaho Center Career Advocate in every Trabaho Center who will provide personalized guidance and career counseling services to students, and the appointment of a Trabaho Center Coordinator in each Division Office of the government organizations for employment facilitation purposes.