The Department of Labor and Employment seeks to expand it s network of career advocates and guidance counsellors to improve its career, vocational and employment counseling services to job seekers.

According to Bureau of Local Employment Director Patrick P. Patriwirawan Jr., through its Career Development Support Program or CDSP, the department seeks to fill any gaps that jobseekers may encounter in their employment journey.

The CDSP aims to help people advance their chosen career paths through employment counseling, find the right jobs through career counseling and identify relevant upskilling or reskilling initiatives through vocational counseling.

On the second day of the 23rd National Public Employment Service Office or PESO Congress on 26 October in Leyte, Patriwirawan oriented PESO managers, career guidance advocates and DOLE regional officials and personnel on the CDSP.

Patriwirawan also emphasized the program's significance despite the opportunities and challenges posed by the future of work characterized by distruption, digital transformation and hybrid work, as well as the obsolescence and emergence of jobs.

Guidance counselors, career advocates and Job Placement Office managers at the educational or training institution level, PESO managers at the local government level, and human resource managers, professionals and business partners at the industry level are some of the identified career development support providers.

Other government agencies who assisted DOLE in the CDSP working group are the Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Professional Regulation Commission, Commission on Higher Education, Federation of Career Guidance Advocates Network of the Philippines and the PESO Managers Association of the Philippines.