News and Opportunities
VET showcase shows Philippines robust market for recruitment
02 May 2012
The Future Unlimited Vocational Education and Training Showcase 2012 was recently held in Manila and Davao City. The program demonstrated that the Philippines remains a robust market for the Australian VET sector in terms of onshore recruitment and transnational delivery. It also identified an emerging regional area in Davao to have great potential for Australian education providers.
The Philippines remains a robust market for the Australian VET sector. Almost half of all students from the market enrol in VET programs. Potential opportunities also exist for offshore delivery of programs in key industries such as construction, nursing and business process outsourcing.
The Philippines is the 10th-largest market for the Australian VET sector. Approximately 47 per cent of student visa grants from the Philippines are for sub-class 572. The sector averaged 22 per cent growth between 2008 and 2011. Manila remains the most significant geographic market, but other areas such as Davao City have become increasingly attractive and receptive to Australian education and training opportunities.
Aside from student recruitment, links have been developed in the VET sector between Australian and Philippine providers. Partnerships in offshore programs and articulation are already being delivered in areas such as commercial cookery and telecommunications.
In terms of priority areas, the Government of the Philippines has identified business process outsourcing (BPO), tourism and agriculture for further training. These industries either attract the highest number of foreign direct investments or are significant export industries. The Philippines is also one of the top sources of skilled workers in the international labour market, exporting nurses, tradespeople, and tourism and hospitality workers to destinations such as the Middle East, the United States and Europe.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reports there were 340 279 newly-deployed, land-based overseas Filipino workers in 2010. By occupational group, these workers were in services (45 per cent); production (35 per cent); and professional, medical, technical and related work (12 per cent).
The market is highly proficient in English, influenced by family and friends in their choices, open to career shifts, and driven by professional opportunities.
Exhibitors at the Future Unlimited VET Showcase 2012 in Davao City pose with prospective students