Incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, on Wednesday urged government agencies and companies to hire Senior High School (SHS) graduates in jobs that require simple tasks.

Angara, who was appointed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as new DepEd chief, said most job qualifications in the country still demand the completion of college degrees, making the promise of K to 12 employability “undelivered.”

“Sa ngayon, hindi totoo iyan, hindi nangyayari iyan (For now, that’s not true, it’s not happening),” Angara said in a radio interview, referring to the promise of K to 12 employability.

“Hindi lang naman mga eskwelahan ang may kasalanan diyan. Iyong mga employers, o ahensya mismo, lagi nila nilalagay na college graduate. Kung simple lang naman ang mga gawin, bakit college graduates (This is not solely the fault of schools. The employers and even government agencies, they always demand [applicants] to be college graduates. If the tasks are simple, why college graduates)?”

Angara will replace resigned Education Secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte, who earlier launched a review of the K to 12 curriculum due to some challenges since its official launch in 2012.

“Gusto nating i-convince ang ating mga (We want to convince our) employers, even starting with the government agencies, iyong mga lower-level jobs po, dapat ay K to 12 graduates in certain competencies or certain skills na tinuro sa kanya, dapat sapat na po iyon (that in the lower-level jobs, certain competencies or certain skills taught to K to 12 graduates must be enough),” he said.

Angara said he would wait for the result of the ongoing K to 12 curriculum review to identify the needed revisions and address the skills mismatch and employability challenges.

Meanwhile, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said once enacted, Senate Bill 2367 or the Batang Magaling Act, which seeks to revise the eligibility requirements for government employment in consideration of SHS graduates, would help boost their employability, with government agencies setting the example of applicable qualification standards.

Angara also called for a holistic approach in terms of improving the education system, including a more flexible option, such as ladderized education.

“Iyong pwedeng mag-aral habang nagta-trabaho. So, eventually, makukuha niya iyong kanyang diploma, maaaring hindi lang apat na taon. Mayroon tayong mas simpleng degree sana. Pero hindi na ho sakop ng Department of Education iyan, sakop po iyan ng CHED (Commission on Higher Education) o TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority). Pero dapat ganun po ang galaw ng gobyerno (Those opportunities where you can study while working, so they can eventually get their diploma, maybe four years. We hope to have a simpler degree. But that’s no longer under the Department of Education. That’s under CHED or TESDA, that’s how the government should move),” he added.

CHED, TESDA, and the Department of Labor and Employment have partnered with the DepEd to provide free assessments for certification to SHS – Technical Vocational Livelihood (SHS-TVL) Track graduates in May to help SHS graduates become more employable.

Under two joint memorandum circulars, these government agencies will fund the graduates’ assessment for National Certificate I and II, as well as the embedding of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into all SHS tracks. (PNA)