MILLENNIALS generally like to be known for their passion, a trait employers value.
But an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Northern Mindanao said millenials ought to realize that they need to retrain and retool to find a sustainable job.
Lawyer Joffrey Suyao, Dole-Northern Mindanao regional director, said this is why the government has implemented the JobStart program to help bridge and shorten the "school to work transition."
Suyao said the program has three phases: first, applicants will have to undergo a 10-day life skills training where the youth will be retrained on their values system as well as all the skills they need to survive the work place.
After they graduate from training, the Dole will then endorse the applicants to the employers for them to select who among the graduates will pass for the technical training. While working under their employer, each "jobstarter" will receive a stipend worth P200 per day, for the whole 3 months duration of the technical training.
Although response from the youth is good, Suyao admitted that they still haven't achieved the 100 percent turnout target.
"Maraming interesado, but mas madami ang hindi pa interesado, dili ta kaigo sa atong target, and from what I see, maybe this is because our youth are actually expecting na magkaroon na ng trabaho agad-agaran," he said.
"But what they fail to understand is, for them to get a job, they have to be re-trained and re-tooled, and acquire skills and be trained, but gusto nila kasi kumita kaagad, maybe this is a millenial thing," he added.
Suyao said this certain trait should be look into while the students are still in school.
"Of course medyo gusto nating icommunicate sa mga schools, na maybe isa sa tingnan yung values system ng ating kabataan kasi nag-iiba ang panahon, iba na ang priority ng kabataan ngayon," Suyao said.
Suyao made the statement during the grand signing of the Memorandum of Agreement with 11 partner employers last Saturday, at Mallbery Suites Business Hotel.
Among the employers include Petron, Beefoods Corporation, Isuzu, DEU818 Corporation, Integrated Livestock and Poultry Raisers Cooperative.
It can be recalled that the Department of Labor and Employment-Northern Mindanao, the Bureau of Local Employment, the city government of Cagayan de Oro, Asian Development Bank through the financial assistance of the government of Canada, have signed a Memorandum of Undertaking last August 24, 2015 for the implementation of JobStart Philippines in the city.
The city is one of the pioneering cities in Mindanao which piloted the JobStart program, including Davao City and Tagum, Davao del Norte.