THE recently signed law mandating free access to technical-vocational education is seen to provide gainful employment especially among out-of-school youth in the country, including those in Negros Occidental.
Wennie Sancho, secretary general of General Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa), said on Wednesday, March 13, the program is good as it would keep the youth away from vices like drug addiction.
“The alternative livelihood the program may provide will motivate the youth to apply for the opportunities offered by the government rather than becoming liabilities to their families,” he added.
In the bid to address job-skills mismatch and unemployment in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11230 or the Tulong-Trabaho Act last February 22.
It orders the creation of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund that will grant qualified recipients access to Technical-Vocational Education and Training programs through the full payment of the selected programs' training fees and additional financial assistance.
The assistance included transportation allowance and laboratory fees.
Those qualified to avail of themselves of the assistance are any person who is at least 15 years old, not in school, not in training and unemployed.
Employed workers who intend to develop and expand their current skills and training can also become program recipients.
Workers, however, in companies or industries currently trained by their employers are not covered.
Sancho, also the labor representative to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Western Visayas, said they are optimistic that the law will enhance the technical and vocational skills of workers employed along this area.
“Some companies are not capable of providing these development trainings, thus, it would be an incentive for them and employees as well to be trained and improve productivity in the workplace,” he added.
Moreover, the law establishes the Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program that assesses the prevailing requirement of industries.
This will be done through the help of the Department of Labor and Employment, which generates studies such as Labor Market Intelligence Reports.
The Technical Education Skills Authority is tasked to craft and promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of the law. (EPN)