Liberal Party senatoriable Benigno "Bam" Aquino said he will push for schools-to-jobs matching programs in order to prepare fresh graduates for the workplace and boost overall employment once elected.
Aquino made this statement after the Social Weather Station (SWS) revealed that Filipinos are "less optimistic" that jobs will be available for them in 2013.
"With graduation season coming up, we will have around half a million students entering the job market. Many of them are understandably anxious because they're unsure of whether or not they'll be able to get a job. This is why we need to ensure that our educational system equips graduates with the hard skills that are necessary for employment. School should not only be with you from enrollment to graduation, it should be with you from enrollment to job placement."
Aquino, who at 35 is one of the youngest senatoriables and was formerly the youngest Chairperson of the National Youth Commission, said that being jobless is no joke. "Finding a job is not only about being able to use what you learned in school. More that that, it's about learning a living and providing for yourself ad your family. That is the Number One priority for many young Filipinos today. Joblessness is a national issue, but it's also a youth issue because it's the young, fresh grads who are left the most vulnerable when it comes to employment."

Source: Manila Bulletin - February 23, 2013