IT group to create 1.1M new jobs by 2028

As more and more companies explore technological infrastructures for their businesses, the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry is expected to generate an additional 1.1 million jobs for Filipinos by 2028, according to an industry group.

In a televised interview, the IT Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) Chief Policy and Regulatory Affairs Officer Celeste Ilagan said that the goal is to generate more jobs possible should the government support the industry by investing in education.

Ilagan said that the goal is to ensure that high school graduates are equipped with the necessary skills and disciplines to work in the industry. She also explained how education plays a vital role in ensuring that workers can provide the needed skills in the industry.

She also said that it would be strategic if training would be given to high school students to prepare them, considering how most businesses now rely heavily on information technology in their day-to-day operations.

According to Ilagan, the government has also to support initiatives geared toward improving internet connectivity in the country. As of today, the Philippines is known to have one of the slowest and most expensive internet services in Asia, according to research.

In the Philippines, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry contributes to 11% of the country’s GDP employing millions of Filipinos from all over the country.

During the pandemic, while most businesses closed down due to health protocols, the industry has allowed a remote work arrangement enabling workers to perform their tasks in a work-from-home setup.

As the health protocols start to loosen up, some companies offer a “hybrid” setup that allows workers to go to work only a couple of days a week while finishing other tasks at home.

Ilagan believes that should the government continue to support these models; the industry will generate more jobs employing many more Filipinos in the future.