More than 10,000 jobs in the business process outsourcing industry will be made available to displaced tourism workers nationwide in a job fair this September, the Department of Tourism said over the weekend.
“The DOT is taking this as a timely blessing for affected tourism workers. Our tour guides and frontline service providers certainly have an edge, especially those who speak foreign languages, as they find work in the BPO industry while tourism operations are still limited. Part-time jobs are also available, and have work-from-home arrangements in light of the new normal,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
The DOT and Concentrix will open positions for customer service representatives, technical support representatives, frontline/specialists, supervisors, trainers, managers and others for the human resources and recruitment, finance, IT and marketing sectors.
The virtual job fair “Mabuhay! Partnership: Overcoming Adversities Through New Opportunities” will provide on-site and work from home jobs in light of the new normal.
“Both the tourism and the BPO industries are people-oriented. We believe in your talent and skills, and we know you will rise above this crisis through this new and exciting undertaking,” Puyat said.
Applicants should be at least high school graduates, can comfortably converse in English, possess good computer skills and problem solving skills with pleasant personality when faced with multiple concerns.
The hiring process will be completed in less than 24 hours after a series of online interviews and assessments. Hired applicants will be compensated while on training.
“Concentrix operates in over 40 countries across the world, and the Philippines is our bedrock when it comes to investments. More than 30 percent of our staff from a global perspective is actually from the Philippines. The skill set of the people in the hospitality industry are very powerful for us because of their ability to interact with foreign nationals and their customer service orientation,” said Concentrix Philippines vice president Amit Jagga.
The virtual regional job fair will be on Sept. 22, 24, 29 and Oct.1 in Luzon; Sept. 17, 18 and Oct. 1 in the Visayas; and Sept. 15 and 16 in Mindanao.
Tourism is one of the most affected sectors of the economy, after the government closed the airports and restricted public transportation at the height of the enhanced community quarantine in the second quarter.
Local and international airlines laid off hundreds of workers, while hotels and resorts were temporarily closed across the country.
The Philippines recorded 8.26 million international visitor arrivals in 2019 and posted 8-percent growth in January 2020 before the global health crisis hit the industry.