656,284 join labor force this year

MANILA, Philippines - Over half a million college graduates are expected to join the labor force at the end of the academic year.

Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) released yesterday showed that the projected total number of graduates for the current academic year is 656,284, higher by almost 10 percent from last year’s 605,375.

Most of the graduates come from business administration and related fields (189,041), followed by those coming from education, science and teacher training (99,722).

Completing the top five disciplines are information and technology courses (84,857), medical and allied courses (75,754) and engineering and technology courses (66,005).

CHED encouraged incoming students to get into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses as there is a need for additional graduates from these fields.

“We have added agriculture and fisheries in this category, making it STEAM,” CHED said in a statement.

“CHED student financial assistance programs are geared towards giving priority to students taking up (or) enrolling in the STEAM courses,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) is still consolidating the number of graduates from fourth year high school this year.

This is the last batch of graduates from the old basic education curriculum as the government is set to implement starting 2016 the additional two years of senior high school under the K to 12 program.