The Philippines

Jobs Accelerator

The Philippines is home to a large young population - almost 30% of the population (around 30 million people) are between the ages of 10 and 24 years old. While this wave of fresh talent presents opportunities for economic growth and development in the Philippines, young people must be equipped with the skills, capabilities and knowledge necessary to take advantage of opportunities emerging in the labour market.

Accelerator launch

The Jobs Accelerator launched in Manila in December 2023 under H.E. Alfredo E. Pascual, and driven forward by H.E. Cristina A Roque in 2024-5 with the goal of supporting the development of digital skills and creation of high quality opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Enhancing public-private collaboration

Leaders in the Department of Trade and Investment, SM Investments and Google formed a governance board which convened a Future of Jobs Roundtable to understand how global trends are impacting the Philippines labour market, as well as to discuss how cross-sector initiatives to support small and medium sized businesses in the Philippines can be accelerated and streamlined.

Key areas for action

The Accelerator identified key areas for public-private collaboration: building digital infrastructure and literacy, investing in and measuring skills development and lifelong learning initiatives, promotion of innovation and productivity upgrades, enhancement of climate resilience and green MSMEs, and improving access to finance and markets.