DOLE tests program for jobless youths

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to implement a job facilitation program to reduce the number of jobless youth nationwide.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said JobStart Philippines would provide on-the-job-training for the youth to ensure their employment.

In partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the Canadian International Development Agency, the program will be pilot tested in Quezon City, Taguig City, San Fernando in Pampanga and General Trias, Cavite with an initial 1,600 beneficiaries.

Baldoz said youths aged 18 to 24 years old, who are either currently not working or have less than a year of work experience, are not enrolled in an educational or training program and have at least completed a high school education, can access technical and similar skills training and on-the-job opportunities that will improve their chances in finding jobs.

At least 74 employers have initially pledged internships for the youth beneficiaries in their companies.

The beneficiaries will receive stipends of between P200 to P300 during their training and 75 percent of the minimum wage during their six-month internship. On the other hand, employers will receive P9,000 training fee per intern they will accommodate.

Baldoz said she directed DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment to work with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to replicate the program in other areas.

“JobStart’s objective is to raise the youth job placement rate to 80 percent from the current 60 to 65 percent,” she said.

She said the youth still accounts for almost half, or 49.8 percent, of the country’s total unemployed at 2.924 million.

Latest figures from the National Statistics Office showed there are about 1.456 million unemployed youth as of April 2014.

“The fact remains that youth unemployment rate is more than double the national unemployment rate and, therefore, this is a challenge we all need to address,” Baldoz said.

Junk K to 12

Meanwhile, the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) yesterday pushed for the immediate junking of the K to12 program to prevent massive job losses.

“We have been saying that the K to 12 won’t increase available jobs for Filipinos and now it has been made clear that the program will decrease existing jobs for Filipinos. K+12 must be junked now,” KMU chairman Elmer Labog said.

He said the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities earlier warned that the full implementation of K to 12 program could result in the loss of jobs for more than 85,000 college faculty members.

He said it is a significant number considering that there were only 317,000 jobs generated by the Aquino administration in 2013.

DOLE earlier allayed fears of mass displacement due to the K to 12 program, saying the government is implementing the program gradually.

DOLE added that public and private schools are prohibited from using K to 12 to justify the termination of employees.

KMU said the implementation of K to 12 is the height of foolishness, if not subservience to big capitalist interests.

“It will only produce cheaper semi-skilled workers for big multinationals and will not solve unemployment. It will only further impoverish the country’s workers,” Labog said.