Recognizing the need to enhance manpower hiring and to provide livelihood especially in the time of the pandemic, Aboitiz Construction, Inc. (ACI) established a tripartite partnership with social enterprise Asiapro Multi-purpose Cooperative and advocacy group Philippine Business Education (PBEd) to provide free technical vocational training to over 3,000 Filipino youths until 2023, resulting in employment opportunities and the safe and streamlined hiring process for manpower requirements of ACI.
Aboitiz Construction, Asiapro, and YouthWorks PH sign a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) held last December 7, 2020, during a virtual event streamed thru Facebook.
“This tripartite partnership guarantees to provide opportunities for a proper livelihood to the sector that needs it the most, accelerate and strengthen the smooth hiring process of the skilled workforce requirement of Aboitiz Construction projects while providing flexible, cost-effective, and socially responsible solutions for manpower placement and protecting the welfare and rights of the youth workers,” said Nina Ylagan-Pedro, Vice President for Corporate Affairs & Services, Aboitiz Construction, Inc.
Despite the pandemic, PBEd and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are implementing a three-part Flexible Training for Work program intended for unemployed and out-of-school youth through the YouthWorks PH project. This involves remote mentoring, employability modules, TESDA-recognized theoretical online and/or face-to-face education, followed by an extensive in-company training led by ACI.
“Aboitiz Construction will be offering work-related learning opportunities for our youth beneficiaries and will include periods of hands-on training, work shadowing, work-based mentoring, reviews, appraisal and work experience at our project sites across the Philippines,” said Nina Ylagan-Pedro, Vice President for Corporate Affairs & Services, Aboitiz Construction, Inc.
ACI will also be working closely with Asiapro to ensure the selected beneficiaries are equipped with the right and necessary tools to perform the in-company extensive training. During this period of the program, trainees will have employee status under Asiapro and will be receiving statutory benefits and compensation.
Asiapro is a pioneer multipurpose cooperative in the Philippines, providing customized managed services and specializes in manpower placement. They provide opportunities for skilled workers proper compensation, statutory benefits, and dividends of the company.
“Asiapro’s partnership with Youthworks Philippines along with Aboitiz Construction follows the cooperative’s objectives of helping provide meaningful employment to the marginalized estimated 3000 young Filipinos that will go through the program and will gain lifelong skills that will be their foundation for years to come. They’ll be able to provide for their families, which the true impact is immeasurable,” said Noel Gonzales, Chief Operating Officer, Asiapro Multi-purpose Cooperative.
PBEd is a nonprofit organization advocating an educational system for all Filipinos and is the business community’s response to the need for greater education and economic alignment. Together with USAID, PBEd implements YouthWorks PH, a private sector-led youth employability program. USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide. YouthWorks PH aims to bring employers, schools, and the government together to provide work-based training for unemployed and out-of-school youth.
“As the 3000 youth gain all these essential skills in this program, we're also putting them on the path of quality employment, while doing so, we're also providing our private sector partners with skilled, quality, human resources who can power their businesses and improve productivity moving forward," said Jenna Diallo, Acting Deputy Mission Director, USAID Philippines
As part of Aboitiz Construction’s commitments to providing employment that will uplift the lives of more Filipinos, the company also understands the need to amplify its efforts in building a better future by partnering with driven and esteemed organizations that share their same vision and purpose. The company will work with these new partners to improve the quality of construction-related technical-vocational training programs for unemployed and out-of-school Filipino youth, including the opportunity for job security; sequentially contributing to the Aboitiz Group’s purpose of advancing business and communities.
YouthWorks PH along with Aboitiz Construction and Asiapro are inviting jobless and out-of-school youth aged 18-30 to register for free construction training opportunities at pbed.ph/youthworksph-register.
About Aboitiz Construction:
Aboitiz Construction, Inc. is the construction arm of the Aboitiz Group of Companies, with a 45-year track record in delivering projects for its local and international customers in the industrial, infrastructure, and specialty works industries. (PR)