This is the pain of doing your best and still not being enough

Many high school graduates still struggle to transition into stable jobs, despite that being one of the primary promises of the K-12 curriculum. While pursuing college remains an option, it is a luxury not everyone can afford. In the end, some are forced to venture directly into adulthood and go straight to work.

Two extra years for what?

Between a diploma and diskarte, the diploma still isn’t enough to get you hired.

With the K-12 curriculum, Senior High School (SHS) was added, to prepare graduates for immediate employment. Beyond the workforce, it was also designed to ensure that the additional two years of education prepare students for higher education by providing them more time to master essential skills and topics necessary. 

Under SHS, students can choose specializations based on their career paths and interests, covering four tracks: Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL), Arts and Design, and Sports. 

Out of these options, the Academic and TVL tracks are the most sought-after due to their practicality. The Academic track holds the following strands:

• Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) Strand
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strand
• Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS) Strand
• General Academic Strand (GAS)

Meanwhile, the TVL track offers practical skills, with some strands granting National Certificates (NC) directly from TESDA:

• TVL Track: Agricultural-Fishery Arts (AFA) Strand
• TVL Track: Home Economics (HE) Strand
• TVL Track: Industrial Arts (IA) Strand
• TVL Track: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strand

Having an SHS diploma indeed means that graduates can immediately apply for jobs. But getting accepted is a completely different story.

Still not chosen

Even though SHS graduates can choose between pursuing college or entering the workforce, the reality isn’t the same for everyone. Continuous budget cuts for state universities mean that more students lose their chance at free education. With private universities being too much of a luxury, many are left with no choice but to look for a job instead of studying.

Yet, the numbers make it clear that more SHS graduates are struggling to find jobs. In October 2025, 308,000 SHS graduates were reported to be unemployed. By January 2026, that number surged to 373,000 — a rapidly widening gap.  

And even if they successfully find work, it is often in entry-level or minimum wage jobs, such as:

• Service crew
• Cashier
• Clerk
• Bakery worker
• Barista
• Encoder

Though most SHS graduates see call center jobs as better paying, making it a target job. Despite this, they are often seen as unfit for call center jobs because their skills from the K-12 curriculum do not always align with what the industry requires.

This job-skills mismatch has always left SHS graduates stuck in unemployment. They are indeed qualified to apply, but they are never quite what employers want. And all because of a gap between what the K-12 curriculum teaches and what the job market demands.

But this disconnect does not stop SHS graduates from trying because survival does not wait. Studies show that despite the odds, SHS graduates are still found to:

• Actively look for jobs
• Work longer hours
• Take up employment in fast-food chains and similar service industries 

However, their overall employment rate remains heartbreakingly low. Beyond the internal struggle of job hunting, employers consistently favor more qualified applicants. For many hiring jobs, SHS graduates are capable, but they are simply not good enough.

How’s life after SHS?

An SHS diploma opens the door to employment opportunities, but it does not guarantee a job at all. 

As it is, the main reason for this is the SHS curriculum itself. It does promise employment and business objectives by the time the student graduates, and its work immersion component does prepare SHS graduates for entry into the workforce.

Yet, the reality of the K-12 curriculum is that the job market simply does not want SHS graduates. Life is already hard, but it gets much worse when some students are left stranded without school to go to and without a job to hold onto.

And that’s the harsh truth behind doing your best: you can give your all and still get nothing back.