SOME 40 residents of Baguio and Benguet were recipients of technical-vocational scholarship grants from SM Foundation to be able to acquire the needed knowledge and skills in order to become productive citizens of the communities where they belong.
SM Foundation officials revealed 20 scholars are enrolled in culinary arts while the other 20 out-of-school youths are enrolled in restaurant servicing courses offered by Baguio City School of Arts and Trades (BCSAT).
The 40 deserving students from Baguio and Benguet are part of the more than 1,000 scholars of SM Foundation who were welcomed by the foundation executives during simple ceremonies at the SM Mall of Asia recently.
SM Foundation believes the granting of educational scholarships to out-of-school youths is seen as one of the solutions to the problem on the inability of children to acquire higher level of education because of poverty in the countryside.
The incorporation of the technical-vocational scholarship program by SM Foundation is part of its contributions to the State in reducing the education gap and provide thousands of out-of-school youth a formal, if not technical-vocational education in order for them to be able to become productive citizens of the communities where they belong.
Earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that one out of 10 children won’t be able to attend school because of indigency, early marriage or the parents’ financial incapability to send their children to school and without proper education, out-of-school youth do not have a chance at having long-term employment, providing for their future families or retiring comfortably.
SM Foundation added the 40 tech-voc scholars from Baguio and Benguet will just be the initial batch of grantees to be included in the program and will continue to conduct the appropriate screening of potential scholars in order for the foundation to be able to contribute in the upliftment of the lives of people living in the countryside.
It was learned out of the 1,000 total scholars of the foundation, 300 individuals come from the National Capital Region (NCR), 300 beneficiaries come from the different parts of Luzon, another 300 scholars come from the different parts of the Visayas while 100 scholars come from the different parts of Mindanao.
SM Foundation added education is the best inheritance that parents and guardians could give their children that is why the foundation is going out of its way to look for potential partners in order to sustain the implementation of the technical-vocational program for the benefit of more indigent youths from the different parts of the country in order for them to be able to acquire the appropriate skills and knowledge that will allow them to have gainful employment in the future for them to be able to contribute in the improvement of the living condition of their respective families.
The SMFI’s technical-vocational partner schools have a good industry partners which can help SM Foundation scholars to land good jobs after their two-year program. (PR)