ICT-BPO industry targets 200,000 new jobs this year
The information and communications technology – business process outsourcing (ICT-BPO) industry will open up 200,000 new direct employment vacancies that need to be filled on a national level, according to Frederick Amores, the Visayas Cluster 1 director of the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO). Amores said the Philippines has enough manpower but needs to ensure that the numbers of skilled workers will meet the demand of the ICT-BPO industry. In Negros Occidental alone, Amore said the DOST-ICTO is working on addressing the 10,000 jobs needed this year. Amores led the launching and MOA signing of the Technology for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurial, and Economic Development (Tech4Ed) program in Bacolod City. Amore said that the interest and potential for investments in the province’s ICT-BPO industry are pouring in, and the challenge now is the manpower.