Abstract

The Philippines has been privileged with a rich population and various natural resources yet the country has remained static in global economic rankings. This may be due to the fact that it fails to effectively use its population as records by the Philippine Statistics Authority (2018) reveal that 16.4 percent of the population are underemployed. Studies suggest that misfit graduates are one of the considered factors why the country possesses a high underemployment rate (Cram 2015; Pascual 2014). Pascual (2014) elaborated that the cause of these misfits are due to the incapability of the graduates to possess and achieve the required skills the industry needs and their incompatibility to possess the competencies needed by companies. If our society were to move forward towards economic progress, graduates would have to be in places and circumstances where they can render their best. To the extent that they make use of their talents, skills, and abilities and apply it to an economic setting so that they can be valuable assets in society (Bobiles, 2014).
In the efforts towards achieving a positive and proficient state of the country's economic condition, the government implemented the K-12 program to improve the education system in the Philippines and as such produce graduates with enough knowledge and skills capable of competing in a global context. The program enables students to hone their skills and expand their capacities thus preparing them for their appropriate career paths. Despite these efforts, various factors still exist which influence the career preferences of students leading them to choose careers that are inappropriate to their capabilities.