With some 800,000 of the estimated 2.4 million Overseas Filipinos being millennials and the number growing, The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) may have to review the pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS) it is giving to Pinoys leaving the country for work abroad to keep it attuned to this new breed of migrant workers’ needs.
This according to Akram Assaf, Bayt.com co-founder and chief technological officer, who in an interview with The Filipino Times, said that corporate organizations have been changing their operational processes to accommodate this tech-savvy generation to maximize their value.
In the same vein, countries too have been undertaking necessary steps to prepare their millenials for the world.
“We understand the value of the millennials. They are part of a larger pool that is growing from different countries coming from different countries,” said Assaf.
“With the advancement of communication in the internet and information techniques, lots of nations have been preparing their younger generations for the work environment. And…the Philippines will have to face the same kind of challenges to make sure that these millennials are well prepared to cope with the completely different work environment than the previous generations have dealt with,” Assaf added.
PDOS is one area the Philippine government could start from by way of identifying the millennials’ capabilities and quirkiness, if you will, on the one hand, and opportunities for them, on the other, experts said.
Labor Attaché Ophelia Almenario agreed, saying, “Dapat na niri-review ang PDOS. Dapat na nag-e-evolve sya with the changing times.”
Assaf said that in the last 10 to 15 years, lots of organizations have been facing challenges incorporating millennials as part of their team. “In trying to do so,” he said, “you will have to deal with their capabilities and limitations, and make sure you maximize their value as a group of talents.”
A recent study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) showed that 8.2 percent or approximately 800,000 of the estimated 2.4 million OFs across the world are millennials – those born between the early 80s and 2000s mindful about financial independence and a bright future. (Jojo Dass)
