Government expands training, earning program for youth

MANILA, Philippines - More youth can now earn while undergoing on-the-job training that could provide them the necessary skills for immediate employment.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz announced that the government is expanding its “Jobstart Philippines” program to reduce youth unemployment.

Baldoz said that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is allocating more than 3,000 vacancies to the program or double the slots in the initial implementation.

DOLE expanded the program to six other areas in the National Capital Region, Cebu, Davao and Palawan to benefit more unemployed youth.

DOLE pilot-tested the program in four areas last year with the aim of creating opportunities for people 18 to 24 years old to improve their technical skills.

Under the program, qualified beneficiaries are provided with knowledge in conducting job searches, access to career guidance and employment coaching, access to relevant labor market information and Public Employment Services Office infrastructure, and referral to potential employers.

“In JobStart, young people develop holistic employability through multi-faceted training such as in life skills, an eight-day immersion that develops attitudes toward work and workplace environment, job hunting skills and networking, personal and interpersonal skills, and health and financial management,”  Baldoz said.

Beneficiaries also undergo technical training of up to three months, up to six months of on-the-job training, a stipend during the technical training, and an allowance of at least 75 percent of the minimum wage during on-the-job training.

Based on DOLE data, the initial implementation of the program benefitted close to 2,000 unemployed youth from General Trias, Cavite, Taguig, San Fernando and Quezon City.

The JobStart program involves employers as partners who will have the opportunity to hire JobStart beneficiaries as interns with life skills and with employer-determined vocational training paid under the program.

“The advantage for employers is that they will enjoy a reduced cost of internship, as they will pay the interns only 75 percent of the minimum wage,” Baldoz said.