FIFTY men and women are undergoing a 30-day livelihood skills training for free in one of the Technical Vocational Institutions accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in Zamboanga City.

The training has been conducted as the Tesda, in partnership with second district Representative Manuel Jose Dalipe, launched on Monday, May 7, a Special Training for Employment Program (Step) to provide livelihood to the identified beneficiaries.

Tesda-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Lorenzo Macapili said the Step beneficiaries are unemployed residents from the second district who are interested to hone their knowledge in their field of interest.

Macapili said the Step involves two skills courses, namely, dressmaking and wellness (hilot), with 25 student-beneficiaries in each of the course.

Macapili said each of the beneficiaries will be given P100 daily allowance and will receive livelihood starter kits upon completion of the 30-day training.

They will also undergo national competency assessment at the end of the course so they will acquire NC-II certificates, which are required for employment.

Macapili said Dalipe's office funded the implementation of the program.

Dalipe said his office has a total allocation of P7.3 million for the Step and Training for Work Scholarship Program (TSWP) for this year.

He said the implementation of Step forms part of the human resource development program of his office.

Dalipe said the 50 student-beneficiaries of Step launched May 7 are the first batch of recipients of the program initiated by his office.

He said the funding allocation of his office is sufficient to benefit more than 500 individuals from the second district by the end of this year.

He advised the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity given them. to avail livelihood skills for free.

The implementation of the program is also in partnership with the ZGI College of Technology, a Technical Vocational Institution accredited by Tesda. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)