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Young people struggling to find jobs after they leave school is still a persistent problem in the Philippines. It is not able to absorb all new entrants to the job market or reduce their entry into the informal market. Creating wage jobs for the youth is critical to help reduce poverty and income inequality in the country.

Youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) and slow school-to-work transition is a challenge in the Philippines. In 2013, one in four young Filipinos (between the ages of 15–24) were NEET. In 2014–2015, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) piloted the JobStart Philippines Program (JSP) in four local government units. The JSP has assisted young Filipinos to start their careers, support skills enhancement through formal or technical training to enable them to become more responsive to the demands of the job market, and provide better integration opportunities into productive employment.

Key Points

• One in four young Filipinos are not in employment, education, or training.
• One in two young women with high school education or less are not in employment, education, or training.
• Creating wage jobs for the youth is critical to help reduce poverty and income inequality in the Philippines.
• Active labor market programs encourage employment creation and employability of workers, increase their earning capacity, and enhance integration into the productive workforce.
• In 2011, DOLE collaborated with ADB to design and develop JobStart Philippines, a pilot project assisting at-risk youth to become job-ready.
• JobStart Philippines is an employer-led program and offers at-risk youth life skills training, one-on-one career coaching, and opportunities for technical training and internships with private sector employers.
• Upon successful completion of the pilot, DOLE converted JobStart Philippines into a regular program and Congress enacted the Act to Institutionalize JobStart Philippines Program in 2016, which guarantees program sustainability.