SM collaborates with gov’t, industry groups to boost job generation

Conglomerate SM group is collaborating with the government and industry groups to boost job generating and jobs matching in the country.

In a news release, SM said it is working with the Private Sector Advisory Council, the Department of Labor and Employment, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Jobstreet by SEEK, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation, and other organizations “in providing job opportunities and bridging the gap between employers and potential employees.”

Through its partnerships with government agencies and industry groups, SM said it will continue hosting job fairs in its malls nationwide, and roll out upskilling programs to upgrade the local workforce with relevant skills to future-proof companies.

As part of its advocacy to invest in people and help in job generation, the conglomerate launched the Job Opportunities Building Skills (J.O.B.S.) initiative.

Through J.O.B.S, SM said it is open to partnering with other stakeholders in providing job and training opportunities. 

SM’s upskilling programs include digital courses like Cloud Foundation, Business Analytics, Fundamentals of Analytics and NoSQL, and Computer Security to equip employees with digital tools to enhance productivity and professional competence.

The conglomerate said that under its J.O.B.S advocacy, employees are given microcredential training and short courses developed by the Asia Pacific College and the National University.

“This upskilling program is intended to be expanded to other companies and institutions to help their employees stay competitive and keep pace with the changing demands on the workforce,” SM said.

The conglomerate added that its malls have been a platform to match job seekers with employers.

Since January 2024, SM said it has hosted over 100 weekly job fairs in various malls across the country, bringing together around 70,000 jobseekers and over 4,000 potential employers.—AOL, GMA Integrated News