A week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suggested short courses to help K to 12 graduates find jobs, Rizal 4th district Representative Fidel Nograles expressed his support for the improvement of the education program.

“Any project that would give a leg up to our graduates so they can find jobs as soon as possible is welcome,” Nograles said in a statement.

Earlier this month, President Marcos said that after a decade of implementation, the K to 12 program has not achieved its goal of improving the employability of graduates.

Marcos also discussed incoming Education Secretary Sonny Angara the idea to adopt courses that would last from three to six months, up to a maximum of one year.

According to Nograles, who also sits as chairperson of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, the government can coordinate with the private sector to fulfill the needs of industry.

“Of course, we do not operate in a vacuum. So the private sector and the government need to work together to ensure that short courses are suitable for the needs of the different industries,” he said.

Poll: High chances for K-12 grads

Meanwhile, the Rizal legislator welcomed the results of a survey conducted by the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) which showed that four out of five employers, or 86.6 percent, are willing to hire K to 12 graduates.

In the survey, 88 percent of percent of micro, medium and small enterprises (MSMEs) and 78 percent of large companies said they were prepared to hire K-12 graduates.

The PBEd said that K to 12 graduates form 42 percent of MSMEs’ and 63 percent of large companies’ workforce.