MANILA, Philippines – With the aim of providing work-based training for Filipino youth to make them employable, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) have partnered for a 5-year project called YouthWorks PH.
YouthWorks PH was launched with a roundtable at Barangay Loyola Heights, Quezon City, on Friday, May 17.
PBEd Chair Ramon del Rosario, USAID Office of Education Director Brian Levey, PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote, YouthWorks PH Chief of Party Karol Mark Yee, and Barangay Loyola Heights Chairman Darwin Hayes discussed the plans of the project.
Earning while learning
According to the government, the profile of an unemployed Filipino is a male junior high school, between 15 and 24 years old. (READ: Unemployment rises under Duterte's watch)
YouthWorks PH envisions to prepare young Filipinos to join the workforce while promoting better alignment between the industry and education system.
Anyone aged 18-24 years old, at least a high school graduate, or not in education, employment, or training can apply to YouthWorks PH. Partner companies and schools, together with YouthWorks PH will screen the candidates.
Successful applicants will undergo life skills training and work-based training provided by the partner schools and companies.
This will include immersing the participants in actual work to improve their skills and get them used to the demands of a workplace.
“The project is all about enhancing the skills of the youth to be employed. The idea is to improve the lives of the people to make them more employable,” said Del Rosario.
Through the work-based training approach, participants experience theoretical and practical learning, while receiving 75% of the minimum wage from partner companies. Qualified participants will also have the opportunity to become full-time employees at the companies where they are being trained. (READ: Youthworks PH now accepting techvoc trainees from CDO)
Del Rosario said that the partnership with the private sector will make the program succeed because it will connect the youth to a higher chance of employability right after the trainings.
The project will focus on Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga.
These places were chosen because of the need to improve the following sectors:
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Banking and Finance
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture
- Energy
- Construction
According to PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote, they aim to generate models for training that can become a national program.
Basillote urged the youth to take part in the project and encouraged the government to support YouthWorks PH. (READ: Out-of-school youth, undergrads shift to becoming full-time workers)
The first recruitment activity was in Cagayan de Oro.
In Metro Manila, YouthWorks PH partnered with Punlaan School in Quezon City and the Sangguniang Kabataan Federations of Quezon City and San Juan. 450 young Filipinos attended the event.
Punlaan School will provide at least 40 scholarships for courses in cookery and hospitality.
Their next roadshow is set Sunday, May 26, 1 pm, at the University of Makati Basketball Court.
To learn more about the YouthWorks PH project, visit PBEd website. – with reports from Nicole Anne Del Rosario/Rappler.com