The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) welcomed the launch of the joint project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Republic of Korea, which aims to equip Filipino youth with digital and green skills in the construction sector through industry-driven training programs.
Titled “Advancing Digital and Green Skills for Youth in ASEAN,” the initiative was launched recently in Manila, and gathered representatives from government, employers’ and workers’ groups, academic and training institutions, industry stakeholders, development partners, researchers, the Korean Embassy in the Philippines, and the ILO.
In her keynote address, DOLE Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres of the Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster emphasized the need to promote youth employability through enterprise-based education and training. She cited ILO Recommendation 208 on Quality Apprenticeships to guide the development of inclusive, fair, and effective apprenticeship systems worldwide.
Undersecretary Torres also highlighted the green transition as a crucial pathway to meaningful employment for young Filipinos, projecting an estimated 8.4 million jobs for youth by 2030 globally.
“To seize these opportunities, the Philippines must align its workforce development strategies with emerging economic trends. By investing in targeted training programs, particularly for youth, the country can position itself to capitalize on the green and digital economies’ growth potential while fostering broader economic and labor market transformation,” she said.
Key activities under the project include the development of regionally aligned and recognized digital and green skills training programs for the construction sector; a training-of-trainers for construction educators across ASEAN; roll-out of the digital and green skills training for the Filipino youth; and implementation of enhanced enterprise-based training and apprenticeship program.
Initial findings from a study on digital and green skills in the Philippine construction sector were validated during a workshop and will be reviewed to finalize ASEAN-wide standards and training programs for rollout in 2026.
