undergoing internship programs are highly possible as these are often left to the employer’s discretion. Information on job opportunities 158. The students’ lack of information on various job opportunities and how to apply for them stems from a lack of guidance or direction in finding the information they need. While job fairs and career boot camps organized by local government units, schools, universities, and youth organizations are beneficial, they can be overwhelming and confusing to students because of information overload. Life and soft skills training 159. While the K to 12 Program assumes to equip SHS graduates with competencies and skills not just for further studies but also for employment, not much attention is given to developing their life and soft skills, which, as the employer participants attest, are equally important in the workplace. Supplementary programs by DepEd, such as the Alternative Learning System and Oplan TAWID, as well as youth programs and plans and initiatives by TESDA, are focused on providing basic education and skills training and not on developing effective communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. Vulnerability to scams and fake job postings 160. First-time job seekers, including new graduates, are vulnerable to illegitimate or fake job recruitment platforms and online job scams, which are rising as most employers have shifted their recruitment processes online. Such actions can be considered among the prohibited practices enumerated in the Labor Code, specifically “furnishing or publishing false notice or information or documents in relation to recruitment or employment.”187 However, since there is no monitoring mechanism in place to verify the legitimacy of career websites and online job postings, anomalous sites will most probably continue to proliferate and prey on unsuspecting job seekers. Costs of job application 161. 187 While the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act provides an incentive to new graduates by waiving processing fees for pre-employment documents, additional expenses such as transportation costs and preemployment medical fees that job applicants have to pay themselves since some employers do not reimburse or cover them overburden the youth particularly out-of-school youth, who belong to households with limited or insufficient income to spend for their daily needs and survival. LABOR CODE, bk. 1, ch. 2, art. 34. 58