THE Philippine Business for Education reported that an increasing number of companies are now willing to hire K to 12 graduates, according to Executive Director Justine Raagas.

Raagas mentioned that PBED conducted a recent survey revealing a 27% rise in companies willing to hire senior high school graduates.

“In 2018, PBED conducted a similar survey where only 3 out of 5 companies, or 60%, were willing to accept K to 12 graduates. Now, it has risen to 87% or 4 out of 5 companies,” she said in a radio interview.

According to PBED’s survey, 86.6% of employers are prepared to hire K to 12 graduates, while 13.4% remain hesitant.

However, Raagas noted that some companies still prefer college graduates, indicating that corporate policies regarding the hiring of K to 12 graduates are still evolving.

“Many companies’ policies regarding hiring are not yet aligned with competency-based assessments, and most still consider the diploma,” Raagas remarked.

Among the goals of the K to 12 curriculum are to improve fundamental skills and cultivate more competent citizens.