THERE is hope for the youth who are not in education, employment or training (Neet) after the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) extended a P1.7 billion investment for workforce development.
USAid partnered with the Philippine Business for Education (PBed) to roll-out the project in the country. It identified Cebu as one of its pilot areas.
Dubbed as “YouthWorks PH,” the program is a youth training and employment project in Cebu that aims to reach out to 3,000 youth Neet in the province in the next five years to address the talent demand in growth sectors like agriculture, banking, construction, energy, hospitality and tourism and manufacturing.
“This launch brings together our partners from Cebu government, industry and academia, who will work with us in ensuring a productive future for youth Neet,” said PBed executive director Love Basillote.
The program’s partner sites, the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprises, a non-profit technical-vocational (tech-voc) training institute in Cebu, has already committed training slots, along with the School of Knowledge for Industrial Labor, Leadership and Service, an educational foundation based here.
According to Basillote, the program will address the perceptions on tech-voc education in the country.
“Given the changing nature of work where skills, meaning what an individual can actually do, are held in higher regard by employers than traditional diplomas, we believe that the tech-voc path is an equally legitimate and viable option for students who finish secondary education,” she said.
She said this would give options to the out-of-school youth who do not have a college degree for them to be employed.
“This is the message we want to send to parents, employers and, most especially, the youth. There are a number of good jobs that will sustain the livelihood of a family that do not require a college degree. It’s high time that we heed the signals of the labor market and adequately adjust our investments in education for maximum returns,” Basillote said.
Those aged 18 to 24 and who finished at least high school education are eligible to apply for training programs offered by YouthWorks PH partners.
Currently, Youthworks PH are inviting more training institutions and companies to partner with them to offer an array of programs for the youth.
USAid director for education Brian Levey also urged the youth to participate in the program to help accelerate the development of the country.
“This is for you. You play a critical role in this that could ultimately make this a successful project. We hope that this could significantly accelerate the country’s growth,” he said.
Aside from Cebu, priority areas for the program include Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Greater Manila Area, Iloilo and Zamboanga.