Senator Win Gatchalian on Sunday urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to strengthen the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) to better prepare senior high school students for the workforce.

In a Viber message to reporters, Gatchalian emphasized the need to align the program with efforts to improve job readiness among youth, particularly those in the senior high school (SHS) level.

The senator cited a 2020 report by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), which found that SPES had no significant effect on academic outcomes or work readiness in the medium term.

“If we can link the SPES to our senior high school students, we can give them work and help them gain experience,” said Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

Jointly implemented by DOLE and local government units (LGUs), the SPES offers temporary employment to students during school breaks to help them earn income and gain work exposure. For 2026, the program is allocated P800 million under the national budget.

Labor Undersecretary Carmela Torres earlier said the DOLE is taking steps to ensure that students’ work assignments provide practical experience, life skills, and real-world exposure rather than just temporary employment.

Gatchalian added that improving the SPES could also help address public dissatisfaction with the senior high school system, which has faced criticism for not adequately preparing students for employment after graduation.

In 2024, DOLE reported that 84,745 students benefited from the SPES across the country.

Gatchalian said he hopes that by strengthening the program’s connection with senior high schools, more young Filipinos will be able to gain meaningful work experience that complements their education.