CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — About 8,713 jobseekers were reported “near-hires” in today’s Labor Day Job and Business Fairs in Central Luzon.
“Near-hires are job applicants who were considered hired but still need to submit additional or lacking requirements, or may need to attend further interviews or tests/exams,” Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Director Ana Dione said.
“The overlap of near-hires versus the number of attendance of jobseekers means that some of them were reported near-hires in more than one company,” Dione added.
Carrying the theme “Matatag na Kabuhayan at Trabaho, Tungo sa Progresibong Pagbabago,” over 7,464 jobseekers flocked the Labor Day Job and Business Fairs that were simultaneously held in SM malls in Baliuag, Pampanga, San Fernando Downtown, and Clark.
A similar activity was also held at the Freedom Park in Cabanatuan City, Metro Town Mall in Tarlac City, and Ayala Harbor Point in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
DOLE Technical Support and Service Division for Employment and Welfare head Alejandro Inza Cruz said the near-hires are expected to add-up in the days to come.
“We will be having our usual month-long monitoring of our near-hires and those subjected for interview from reports submitted by our job and business fair employer-participants and we are hopeful that these applicants would eventually be hired and land jobs,” Inza Cruz added.
The Job and Business Fairs adopted the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Concept of DOLE and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“TNK concept aims to achieve full employment and creation of jobs in Key Employment Generators (KEGs) specifically in the manufacturing, agri-business, construction, tourism, IT-BPM, transportation and logistics, and retail and trade,” Dione shared.
“The job and business fairs are expected to increase rate in applicants hired in KEGS during the job fairs, apprise and advocate job seekers to consider entrepreneurial and business opportunities, and build strong partnerships among concerned agencies including DOLE, DTI, local government units, and private sector,” the official furthered.
During the fairs, DTI conducted a lecture on Business Opportunities for jobseekers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who wish to venture into entrepreneurship and small businesses.
National Reintegration Center for OFWs, on the other hand, provided teaching kits for OFW teachers under the Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am Sir Program. –Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu/PNA