Thinking of a career change? You might want to try your hand at carpentry and masonry.

These two are the skilled manual professions with the most number of vacancies at the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) in Valenzuela City today, but the office is having a hard time filling them.

Since January, the PESO has solicited 50 vacancies for carpenters and 52 for masons but has referred only one, a mason applicant.

Luningning Martin, PESO Manager, said demand for carpenters and masons from real estate developers began to rise in 2010. But supplying them has been difficult for the office as there were not enough applicants who have the skills the companies are looking for.

Unlike applicants for service work – for instance, sales clerks and janitors - who need to have at least a high school diploma and the so-called “pleasing personality” to be hired, those for carpenters and masons have to pass a trade test that measures their technical skills, Martin said

Martin added that when hired, carpenters and masons are compensated at a rate “above minimum wage”, which is usually P500 to P600 a day.

Some companies also offer an additional hazard pay, a daily allowance of P150 and at least two insurance policies, Martin said.

Real estate is among the 12 industries hailed by the Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as “key employment generators,” while carpentry is expected to thrive in 10 years beginning 2012, as shown by DOLE’s Project JobsFit research.

The PESO counts as clients six real estate developers who frequently ask for carpenters, masons, and related workers.

The demand has compelled the Valenzuela Polytechnic College (Valpoly), the local technical-vocational school run by the city government, to open carpentry and masonry courses in 2014. Each course runs for four months and half and requires a tuition of P1,400.

In 2014, the PESO solicited a total of 77,137 job vacancies. Applicants referred to companies numbered 17,537. About 85.8 per cent, or 15,050, of which were hired.

For assistance in job seeking, clients may go to the PESO at the Ground Floor, Executive Building, Government Center, Karuhatan, Valenzuela City; or contact the office at 352-1000 local 1710 and 1711.