Labor Assistant Secretary and Concurrent BLE Director Dominique Rubia-Tutay joined Deputy Director General Rosanna Urdaneta (TESDA) during the Commission on Higher Education – Asian Institute of Management’s Global Academic Leadership Program (GALP) Session on 26 May 2022.

Said session, which was moderated by Former DOLE Secretary Nieves R. Confesor, gave a refresher on the basics of the labor market, re-examined the role of Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) and Local Government Units (LGUs) in addressing gaps in the labor market, and leveraged labor market intelligence in local development planning.

“The world ahead is rapidly changing, uncertain, paradoxical, and tangled. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of new technologies that improve communication and interconnectivity and allowed large-scale and integrated automation of industrial processes. These have corresponding structural changes and trends in the labor market including the rise of remote or hybrid work, the gig economy and digital careers, the need for retooling and upskilling, and distance/blended learning,” Asec. Rubia-Tutay remarked.

Upon sharing recent economic and employment trends, she emphasized the role of labor market information in the new normal as educators need to know how industries are changing, particularly to gauge fluctuations in demand for certain knowledge, skills, and abilities. When people have accurate and up-to-date information, they are better equipped to make an informed choice and to plan appropriately.

With the gradual opening of the economy, the DOLE has improved various employment bridging and facilitation programs such as the development of Labor Market Information Systems, provision of relevant LMI, and career guidance and employment coaching, to respond to the changing world of work.

In closing, she enjoined participants to start disrupting their leadership – role, identity, and meaning – and push towards translating a disruptive environment into a competitive advantage.

END/JBorjal/29May2022