Sales said that although ICT skills are necessary, a multi-disciplinary approach could address the requirement for highly-skilled workers in call centers, animation, software development, medical transcription, and back-office processing.
He explained: 'In animation for example, you have to have an art background besides having the talent for art, and then you have to get animation training, and then IT, so that you become an animator. This is cross-disciplinary training.'
CICT previously reported that the Philippines would experience 'employee shortage' instead of job shortage beginning this year until 2010 as the outsourced services industry becomes even bigger.
The projected shortfall is based on the increasing demand for cyber services jobs compared with the supply of graduates, low acceptance rate among applicants, and the sustainable interest levels.
Sales explained the multi-disciplinary approach to education would target people fit for specific job opportunities.
In becoming a human resource (HR) officer or BPO (business process outsourcing) agent for instance, he said the number one requirement would be to have good English-speaking skills but at the same time a good understanding of HR management.
Similarly, in back-office accounting work, an applicant should likewise have a good accounting background to go with English skills.
'At a very early age, the child must already be introduced to computers and then as he progresses through schooling, it will get wider and deeper until he reaches college where we have specialization,' Sales said.
However, upon reaching the 'specialization stages' in college, Sales said a student must not be satisfied with just one course or discipline and suggests in learning several other disciplines.