WORKERS make customized pet plushies at a factory in Angeles City, Pampanga, March 10, 2023. 鈥 REUTERS

A CONGRESSMAN on Wednesday called for the implementation of a modernized labor forecasting system to address technical skills gaps and job mismatches of Filipino workers.

鈥淎n LMIS (Labor Market Information System) would help us address gaps and challenges such as skills mismatch, shortages, labor force needs, among others and would be useful for our learning institutions as they craft their training curriculums,鈥 Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles, who heads the House labor committee, said in a statement.

A Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) report published in May said there is a need to improve labor forecasting through an LMIS, which would serve as a 鈥渃entral database鈥 to analyze labor market trends and workforce needs.

鈥淎 key aspect in every effective strategy is having accurate and comprehensive data to guide our decisions,鈥 Mr. Nograles said in a statement. 鈥淲ith such an information system, we can take steps towards guaranteeing that our workforce is equipped with the proper knowledge and skills to fulfill the needs of the economy.鈥

He said having an LMIS would ensure that the Filipino workforce鈥檚 skill sets would be on par with 鈥渆volving industry needs.鈥 鈥 Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio