Over 1M new IT-BPM jobs projected in next 6 years

THE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is calling for continued government support to ensure the attainment of the industry growth targets.CCAP is optimistic that the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry could grow up to 10 percent annually in export revenues and about eight percent annually in additional jobs by 2028.But the group stressed that it needs strong backing from the government to achieve such growth targets while it commits to generate more high value jobs for Filipinos and contribute to the country’s economic recovery.“There is a surge in global market demand, driving double digit growth prospects for Philippine IT-BPM. If we collectively support the industry to capitalize on this global demand, it can mean up to an additional 1.1 million more high value, high paying jobs for Filipinos over the next six years. This is clearly an exciting time for the industry,” CCAP chairman Benedict Hernandez said in a statement.RecommendationsAmong the recommendations raised by the group are the sustained improvements in the ease of doing business and long-term program that will allow the industry to be more globally competitive.This includes clear policy on flexible work arrangements, strengthening of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) as true “one-stop-shop” for administration, compliance, and reporting matters with respect to Peza’s registered business entities.The group is also asking the education sector to continue producing Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates who are digital-ready and appropriately skilled to join the growing IT-BPM industry; the telecommunications, real estate and other partner industries to continue improving infrastructures for communications, connectivity, transportation, workplaces of the future that support industry’s growth in the National Capital Region and multiple provincial locations.For its part, CCAP pledges to continue addressing untapped service opportunities, getting into new client markets, and building more infrastructure targeting fast-growing tech companies more aggressively.Based on data from global research firm Everest Group, the local IT-BPM industry’s headcount grew in 2021 by up to 10 percent or over 120,000 jobs year-on-year—its strongest since 2016.The momentum is expected to be sustained in 2022.In 2020, the industry still grew by up to five percent despite the onset of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic.According to industry insiders, that growth translates to a US$29.5 billion revenue in 2021 from $26.7 billion in 2020 and $26.3 billion in 2019.The industry’s annual revenue has been continuously growing strongly—from just $8.9 billion in 2010.“The contact center sector has demonstrated tremendous agility and resiliency to effectively deliver world class customer experience management services to global and domestic clients throughout the pandemic.” said Hernandez.“CCAP and its members continue to work to maintain the Philippines’ status as the best provider of customer experience management services through the country’s growing stable of world-class and up-skilled talent,” he added.Contact Islands 2022Moreover, CCAP announced that it is staging the return of Contact Islands 2022 in October this year. The annual event, slated on Oct. 19 to 21, 2022 in Crimson Resort and Spa in Boracay Island, will once again gather stakeholders to map out the contact center sector’s direction and programs for the next six years.