WORLD EDUCATION CONNECT MULTIDISCIPLINARY E-PUBLICATION
Vol. V Issue IX (September 2025)
International Circulation
This is an open-access, peer-reviewed, and refereed international publication in online & printed versions that features research papers, abstracts, theses, dissertations, and journals. It is registered to the ISSN National Center of the Philippines, and ISSN International Center, the Global Index for Continuing Resources with ISSN (Online) 2799-0842 and ISSN (Print) 2799-130X.
World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. V, Issue IX (September 2025), pp.270-275
Emmie C. Panganiban
PHD Student, UPHSD, Metro Manila
Abstract
The Philippines’ K–12 reform positioned Senior High School (SHS) as a pathway to work, further study, or entrepreneurship. Yet employers continue to question job readiness among SHS completers. To distill employer perspectives on hiring SHS graduates in Region IV‑A (CALABARZON), identify perceived skill gaps, assess views on curriculum–industry alignment, and surface actionable outputs that can improve employability. A qualitative, phenomenological design drew on semi‑structured interviews with ten employer‑decision makers (owners, HR managers, operations leaders) across logistics/transport, IT & design, BPO, hospitality/food service, pharmaceutical manufacturing, automotive repair, and warehousing. Thematic analysis, member checking, and triangulation (interviews, observations, documents) supported analytic rigor. Six cross‑cutting themes emerged: (1) persistent hesitancy rooted in gaps in hands‑on technical skills, soft skills, and workplace maturity; (2) skepticism toward credentials (e.g., immersion certificates) as reliable proxies for competence; (3) uneven quality and duration of work immersion; (4) a structural preference for college graduates, attributed to perceived maturity and adaptability; (5) resilience and retention concerns (early fatigue, turnover); and (6) pockets of success where deep school–industry collaboration exists. Employers call for stronger, structured industry–school–government alignment; extended, authentic work immersion; micro‑credentialing tied to local labor demand; and teacher industry immersion. A practical “alignment hub” and continuous feedback loops are proposed to make SHS a credible employment pipeline.
Keywords: employer perspectives; K–12; skills gap; work immersion; curriculum alignment
Introduction
K–12 was intended to close the education–employment gap by equipping SHS graduates with job‑ready competencies and, where applicable, industry certifications. Several cohorts after the first SHS batch (2018), employers still report hesitations—especially about practical skills, soft skills, and workplace readiness—raising consequential questions for curriculum design, immersion programs, and policy. This IMRaD synthesis consolidates one dissertation’s evidence from Region IV‑A employers to illuminate what’s working, what isn’t, and which changes would most credibly improve employability prospects for SHS graduates. It addresses four questions: (1) how employers describe hesitations in hiring SHS graduates; (2) how they interpret skill/qualification gaps; (3) how they view the SHS curriculum’s effectiveness vis‑à‑vis industry needs; and (4) which outputs are most actionable to enhance opportunities for SHS graduates.
Methodology
Employers' perspectives regarding the employability of Senior High School (SHS) graduates are examined in this chapter through the adoption of a qualitative design. It discusses how the participants were chosen, how the data was gathered using semi-structured interviews, and how the theme analysis was carried out. Ethical protections and validation procedures were utilized jointly to make sure that the results were reliable, relevant, and trustworthy.
Design and approach. The study employed a qualitative, phenomenological approach to probe lived experiences and situated meanings among employers who directly recruit, supervise, or partner with SHS graduates. Semi‑structured interviews allowed consistent coverage of core topics while preserving flexibility to pursue emergent lines of inquiry.
Setting and participants. Ten purposively selected decision makers represented sectors with high entry‑level demand: logistics/transport and warehousing, logistics & retail distribution, IT & design, BPO, hospitality/restaurant and food service, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and automotive repair—primarily in Rizal, Laguna, and nearby urban/suburban areas of Region IV‑A. All participants held hiring, supervisory, or ownership roles, enabling them to comment credibly on skill expectations, onboarding realities, and performance.
Data collection. Interviews followed an IRB‑style consent process, were audio‑recorded with permission, and guided by open‑ended prompts on hesitations, skills gaps, immersion experiences, curriculum alignment, and improvement ideas. Where applicable, observations and document reviews enriched context (e.g., role demands, training artifacts).
Analysis and trustworthiness. Verbatim transcripts were coded iteratively, then clustered into themes via thematic analysis. Credibility was strengthened through member checking with selected participants and triangulation across interviews, observations, and documentation. Reflexive notes were maintained to surface and bracket researcher assumptions.
Ethics. Participation was voluntary; anonymity and confidentiality were safeguarded (pseudonyms, de‑identification). Data were stored securely and reported in aggregate, with limited, short quotations to preserve voice while protecting identity.
Results
The findings from employer interviews are presented in this chapter, which is arranged according to the research queries. Narratives emphasize identified deficiencies in technical and interpersonal skills, workplace preparedness, and curricular coherence. The findings encompass direct quotations and thematic trends, elucidating both reservations and prospects in the employment of SHS graduates across several industries.
Theme 1: Persistent hesitancy about job readiness
Across sectors, employers described SHS applicants as eager and “trainable,” but not ready for unsupervised work. Technical gaps were basic (e.g., safe operation or troubleshooting in auto service; inventory and documentation accuracy in logistics; production workflow in hospitality; execution details in design/print). Employers also raised soft‑skill shortfalls in communication, initiative, and teamwork. A hospitality manager summarized the burden bluntly: new hires often arrive with “very low skill sets,” so supervisors must teach “from scratch.”* Employers linked these deficits to higher supervision loads, slower ramp‑up, and operational risk.
*Paraphrase of multiple statements; sample short quote used within fair‑use limits.
Theme 2: How employers interpret skill/qualification gaps
Gaps in technical and soft skills were interpreted less as individual failings and more as systemic misalignment: curricular content and immersion experiences don’t reliably map to real job tasks. Employers viewed immersion certificates and school‑issued credentials as insufficient proof of competence unless validated through internal practical tests and probationary performance. The upshot: SHS hires often require longer onboarding or are funneled to less critical roles.
Theme 3: Uneven, often shallow work immersion
Work immersion was praised in principle but critiqued in practice. Placements were frequently too short for mastery; tasks were observational or clerical rather than hands‑on; and school–employer coordination varied widely. Employers who offered multi‑month, project‑based placements reported markedly better outcomes—greater confidence, clearer role fit, and demonstrable skills—than those who hosted brief shadowing stints.
Theme 4: Preference for college graduates
A recurrent practical preference for college degree holders reflected perceived differences in maturity, adaptability, and role autonomy rather than sheer subject knowledge. Employers associated college experience with better interview performance, resilience under pressure, and readiness for client‑facing or independent tasks. This preference, they cautioned, can become self‑reinforcing: without visible improvements in SHS readiness, degree filters persist even where roles are skill‑based.
Theme 5: Resilience, retention, and the cost of turnover
Several participants noted quick depletion of “initial energy” among some SHS hires once work became routine or difficult. Reports included early resignations, inconsistent punctuality, and avoidance of uncomfortable tasks—issues attributed to limited stress tolerance and incomplete work norms. High turnover drove real costs (recruitment, training, rework). Employers urged explicit development of resilience, problem‑solving, and professional habits, starting in SHS and reinforced during immersion.
Theme 6: Where collaboration exists, outcomes improve
Not all accounts were negative. Employers pointed to successful cases when schools co‑designed immersion scopes, scheduled longer placements, and requested frank feedback on skills. In these cases, graduates transitioned more smoothly, some were directly hired, and teams perceived value in “growing talent” through structured mentoring. These successes motivated concrete proposals: area‑based demand mapping, micro‑credentials aligned with local sectors, and teacher industry immersion to keep instruction current.
Discussion
By relating new ideas to previously published studies and policy contexts, this chapter provides an interpretation of the findings. The study analyzes discrepancies between curriculum and industry needs, limitations in work immersion, and employer reservations, while proposing potential reforms. The discussion examines implications for educational institutions, policymakers, and industries, outlining practical strategies to improve graduate employability.
Interpreting the patterns
The core signal is a structural, not merely individual, gap. Employers do not dismiss SHS per se; they question calibration: Are students practicing the exact tasks the job requires? Are immersion scopes long and hands‑on enough to demonstrate competence and build confidence? Do soft skills and professional maturity receive as much instructional attention as technical content? The study’s results echo broader literature emphasizing that employability rests on a composite of technical proficiency, transferable soft skills, and authentic workplace exposure—particularly in fast‑changing industries (e.g., competency‑based hiring and WIL/CTE regimes).
Curriculum–industry alignment and immersion quality
Employers’ skepticism toward credentials reflects a trust gap: without shared standards and performance‑based assessments, certificates are proxies rather than proof. Strengthening immersion as a capstone—longer duration, defined deliverables, mentored practice, safety‑conscious hands‑on tasks, and joint evaluation rubrics—could shift perceptions. When immersion becomes an applied assessment (not only a placement), employers can trust the signal, and students acquire the “threshold confidence” needed to operate with less oversight.
Soft skills and professional maturity
Communication, teamwork, initiative, and adaptive problem‑solving surfaced as decisive. Embedding these into every subject through deliberate practice (e.g., client simulations, shift‑handovers, quality circles, stand‑ups, retrospectives) primes students for the social and temporal realities of work. Explicit coaching on stress management, feedback‑seeking, and professional etiquette addresses the retention challenges employers described.
Degree signal vs. skills signal
The degree preference documented here is best understood as a risk‑management heuristic. Employers trade off training cost and operational risk against the perceived reliability of degree holders. The remedy is not to disparage degrees but to strengthen the skills signal from SHS: standardized, performance‑based assessments co‑signed by employers; recognized micro‑credentials; and evidence from authentic projects (portfolios, shop tasks, production logs). As these signals stabilize, hiring can shift from “degree by default” to “competency by evidence.”
Practical outputs (what to implement)
Findings point to a practical blueprint:
Create an Alignment Hub (School–Industry–Government). Convene an advisory body that (a) maps area‑based demand; (b) maintains a shared skills framework and competency rubrics; (c) co‑reviews curricula semi‑annually; and (d) brokers immersion slots with quality standards.
Elevate work immersion to a true capstone. Extend duration; define project‑level deliverables; require mentored, safety‑vetted hands‑on tasks; and co‑assess performance with employer sign‑off.
Adopt micro‑credentialing tied to local sectors. Pair SHS strands with TESDA/industry badges (e.g., basic diagnostics in auto, entry‑level inventory control, frontline customer care, digital production workflows).
Run teacher/trainer industry immersion. Short externships keep faculty current on tools, workflows, and norms, improving classroom authenticity.
Institutionalize soft‑skills scaffolds. Build communication, teamwork, initiative, time management, and resilience into tasks and grading—across all subjects.
Align incentives. Recognize exemplar employers (seals/awards), and, where feasible, support participation with modest subsidies for extended placements and mentor training.
Monitor and improve continuously. Track immersion quality, hire/retention rates, and employer satisfaction; pilot, evaluate, and iterate the model annually.
Limitations and future directions
The sample is region‑bounded (Region IV‑A) and employer‑centric; student and teacher voices, as well as quantitative job‑performance metrics, would sharpen validity. Future research should test the proposed alignment model experimentally (e.g., randomized immersion intensities; standardized performance assessments) and evaluate long‑term outcomes (retention, wage growth, internal progression).
Conclusion
Employers in Region IV‑A see potential in SHS graduates but hesitate to assign independent responsibility without additional training. The path forward is not to abandon SHS as a work pathway but to redesign its interfaces with industry and government so that skills taught are skills used—and demonstrated—before graduation. Extended, authentic immersion; co‑developed competency rubrics; micro‑credentials aligned to local demand; and teacher industry immersion together form a credible, implementable package. With a functioning alignment hub and continuous feedback loops, SHS can become a dependable pipeline for entry‑level talent, and employers can hire on evidence rather than assumption.
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DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17247462
