What Can Be Done?
We need a mindset shift, and it has to come from the top.
Employers must reconsider their job postings. If a position is skills-based, then assess skills. Use practical tests. Give probationary roles that allow people to prove themselves. Not everything needs a diploma.
Perhaps it’s time for government agencies like the Civil Service Commission to revisit how eligibility is framed. While credentials matter, there’s also value in recognizing real-world performance and potential—the kind that can’t always be measured by diplomas alone.
Educational institutions should stop treating graduation as the end-all-be-all. Offer micro-credentials. Recognize lifelong learning and practical training.
Policy makers can take cues from global trends. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should strengthen its national campaign promoting skills-first hiring. Create publicly accessible platforms where workers can showcase their skills through portfolios, not just diplomas.
Let’s also fund vocational schools better. Destigmatize them. Not everyone needs to be a manager; some just want to be great at what they do.
The Call to End Credential Madness
Credentialism is costing us. It’s costing people opportunities. It’s costing businesses great talent. It’s costing the nation productivity. And worst of all, it’s costing our young people their dreams.
So the next time you see a job ad asking for a degree to push shopping carts, ask yourself: are we building a society of skills, or just degrees?
Let’s aim for the former. Let’s stop equating worth with diplomas and start hiring based on what truly matters: what a person can actually do.
Because in the end, it shouldn’t be “Degree or Disqualified.” It should be, “Skill or Still Welcome.”
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Columnist Bio
Nicasio A. Pimentel III is a UK-certified human resources practitioner and educator with over 15 years of experience spanning HR strategy, analytics, systems integration and talent management across several Fortune Global 500 companies and public sector institutions in UK, Australia and the Middle East.
He holds an MSc in Management and Human Resources from the prestigious London School of Economics and a BA Psychology from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
A former Christian missionary to marginalized ethnic minorities in Cambodia, he now teaches psychology at the University of Antique and continues to serve underserved communities in Western Visayas through grassroots ministry and education advocacy.
He is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Assoc CIPD) in the UK. For questions, e-mail nicasio.pimentel@antiquespride.edu.ph./PN
