The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the Philippines is gearing up for further growth, as it is projected to be worth $25bn (£1.57bn) by 2016, and likely to require at least 120,000 further workers.

Benedict Hernandez, president and chief executive of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), says: “We need motivated and highly qualified professionals. This year, we hope to generate at least 120,000 new knowledge workers to attain our goal of employing 1.3m Filipinos by 2016. With support from government and academic and training institutions, we expect to meet that goal.”

Hernandez says the organisation, which already offers 13 different certification, training and HR development programmes, has partnered with the country’s Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and is “working with industry and government partners to address skills and jobs mismatch as well as to develop and sustain the talent pool”.

This year the Philippines is also hosting the fourth annual International Outsourcing Conference in the capital city Manila in October.