At least 1,148 Senior High School (SHS) graduates were hired on the spot during nationwide Labor Day job fairs, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.
In a statement, DepEd said the figure came from around 11,000 SHS jobseekers who joined simultaneous job fairs across the country, highlighting what officials described as growing employment opportunities for SHS graduates.
“We aim to expand these opportunities further so that every Senior High School graduate will have the skills and confidence to secure decent jobs,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
DepEd attributed the outcome to the implementation of “green lanes” in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, allowing SHS graduates to bypass regular queues and proceed directly to job application processes by presenting a school ID or certificate of completion.
The agency said the Labor Day initiative followed earlier job fairs under the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair, where more than 1,400 SHS and Alternative Learning System graduates were also hired on the spot.