I'm not really very optimistic about this program. I don't think it will work here.
In first world countries, the program works because their countries are rich and can provide decent jobs even to those who wouldn't want to continue college studies. A high school graduate with self-learned skills or talents can get a high paying job if he meets the skill sets required for a particular job, say an illustrator for a book or comics publisher. They have tons of employers who believe that if you have the talent, your education wouldn't matter much, unless of course you are applying for a job that necessitates a person to have specific skills or knowledge that can only be attained through schooling, such as those professions in the medical field.
But here, that same high school graduate will have a hard time applying as an illustrator for a book or comics publisher. The basic requirement for applicants for full time employment with salaries above the basic pay is that they must have a college degree; if you don't have a college degree, your application won't be processed.
If you are just a high school graduate, these are the only jobs that you can apply for: househelp, maintenance work, constructions work, store attendant.
If you have at least 2-years college education, these are the only jobs that you can apply for: sales attendant at a department store, service crew at a fast food chain, commission-basis-only salesman.
So the belief of DepEd that the extra 2 years in high school, or what they call the senior years, won't matter much because our employers will still hire only those with a college degree. With hundreds of applicants vying for a single position, an employer, being a business minded that he is, will of course trim down the applicants to those with college education who are willing to get a salary for less than what they deserve.
The extra 2 senior years in highschool, the DepEd said, will focus on technical skills that will prepare students for work even if they don't go to college. These technical skills include bookkeeping, care giving or nursing, trade, agriculture, etc.
But the question is, will the employers accept applicants who are not college degree holders? Are these extra two years in high school enough for employers to consider job application from high school graduates?
Besides, the extra 2 years in highschool won't be beneficial to students who would pursue non-technical fields, say the communications arts, etc. It will just be a waste of time and money for them.
IMHO, the government should ensure first that DECENT jobs await our future HS graduates before they implement the K12 program.