SOME 10,000 young Filipino men and women are going to be the beneficiaries of the free vocational and entrepreneur courses provided by the Spanish government.

The Filipinos, aged 15 to 24 years old, are from the four poor provinces in the country, namely: Masbate, Antique, Agusan del Sur, and Maguindanao.

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The three-year program worth US6 million is open to the out-of-school youth, in-school youth, high school graduates, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and youth left behind by OFW parents.

"This program will focus on four provinces, which have the highest incidence of poor young people and the lowest school enrollment rates. It is particularly fitting, coming as it does at a time when the government is working to minimize the impact of the global economic crisis in the country," said Vanessa Tobin, UN resident coordinator.

Aside from vocational training, beneficiaries will be given career guidance and sessions on migration issues. It also seeks to improve policy coherence and implementation on youth, employment, and migration.

The project will be implemented by the Department of Labor and Employment, the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the UN Children's Fund, and the UN Population Fund.

The initiative also seeks to help attain Millennium Development Goals 1, 3, and 8 -- eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality, and developing a global partnership for development.

The program is under the Millennium Development Goal Fund.

Labor records showed that youth comprises 20 percent of the country's population, 49.2 percent of which are unemployed.

The Filipino youth comprises 35 percent of all OFWs, which is the number one contributor to the country's economy with an estimated US16 billion annual remittances. (FP/Sunnex)