Ayala launches Careers for Street Youth

MANILA, Philippines - With the goal to better equip disadvantaged youth for employment and their future, Ayala Foundation Inc. launched Careers for Street Youth, its latest youth program, last May 8, at the Ayala Museum, Makati City.

Careers for Street Youth aims to bridge disadvantaged youth to stable mainstream employment through workplace skills readiness training, on-the-job training, and life-coaching and mentoring backed by employment partners.

The Careers for Street Youth project is implemented by LiveIt Investments, Street Kids International under the Street Source Program, and Ayala Foundation. Employment partners Integreon Managed Solutions Inc., Affinity Express, Microsourcing Inc., and Migo Entertainment Inc. serve as project partners who will provide internship and on-the-job-training opportunities for the first batch of youth to be trained under the program. Employees of the partner companies will likewise serve as mentors to the participating youth.

The first batch include 30 youth identified by the project’s community partner Santa Maria della Strada Parish Cooperative, Quezon City. Under Careers for Street Youth, the 30 participants receive over 600 solid training hours, which include a 100-hour Job Readiness training course, and internship and on-the-job training opportunities with employment partners. The training will be backed with counselling and coaching sessions.

The required 600 hours of training also include 20 hours’ worth of counselling and coaching sessions in preparation for their internship and on-the-job training with employment partners. This course includes values formation, self-development, decision-making, problem-solving, computer literacy, and English comprehension training.         

After undergoing the Job Readiness training course, the participating youth will apply for internship posts with the project’s employment partners. They will undergo 480 hours of internship where they will receive relevant work-experience and skills sets, and 20 hours of mentoring and coaching sessions.

“It is important that we work together in providing the necessary support for these youth as they look for stable mainstream employment. There are a lot of available jobs out there, yet there is a growing job-skill mismatch between employers and these young people who are in need of jobs. The goal is to provide the skills, attitude, and exposure to help the youth become productive members in their communities and help find long-term employment and improve their financial situations,” said Joseph Anthony Quesada, Youth Leadership Pillar Lead of Ayala Foundation, Inc.

After undergoing the Job Readiness training course and internship with employment partners, the youth will receive the necessary support to obtain long-term jobs. A job fair and career networking session will be scheduled, where the participating youth can apply for job posts.

The 100-hour Job Readiness Training course started on May 12 and will run until May 31, 2014. Internship and on-the-job training begin in June 2014.

To learn more about Careers for Street Youth or Ayala Foundation, visit www.ayalafoundation.org  or email [email protected].