By Pearl Gumapos
In partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Asian Development Bank, the Pasay City local government’s Public Employment Services Office signed an agreement to establish the JobStart Philippines program to enhance jobseekers’ credentials.
Through this program, job hunters will benefit from technical skills training which will boost their chances to find employment.
Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said the program will prepare those interested in becoming more productive, as well as the city’s young residents once they begin looking for jobs.
“Gusto po nating ihanda ang ating mga kabataan, lalo na iyong medyo naliligaw ng landas, at mabigyan sila ng tsansa para sa mas tahimik at produktibong buhay…,” Rubiano said in a Viber message sent to Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Saturday.
“Gusto po nating mamuhunan sa ating mga kabataan at mabigyan sila ng sapat na kaalaman at karanasan, upang sa ganoon ay maging mas madali silang makuha sa mga trabaho,” she added.
In this program, qualified beneficiaries will undergo life and technical skills training that will allow their integration into the labor market.
There will be four phases of training: client registration and client assessment, 10-day life skills training, technical training for a maximum period of three months, and internship for a maximum period of three months.
Beneficiaries will receive allowances and stipends throughout the program, among them a P200 mobile data allowance, P300 daily allowance for the 10-day life skills training, and a Government Service Insurance System basic accident insurance.
The participants will also be entitled to P1,000 medical allowance and a P5,000 allowance they can use for COVID-19 swab tests.
In addition, the beneficiaries will receive a technical training grant of up to P12,000 and an employer’s administration fee of P1,500 per month.
Individuals aged 18 to 25 years old, college graduates, undergraduates, high school and senior high school graduates, and out-of-school youths may sign up for the training program.
Rubiano said the program will be integrated into the Sulong Pasay initiative, a partnership between the city and the private sector to speed up economic revival.
“Malaki po ang aking paniniwala na hindi magtatagal ay magkakaroon ng economic boom dito sa lungsod, dahil na rin sa tulong ng Sulong Pasay kaya ngayon pa lang ay inihahanda na natin ang ating mga kabataan,” she said. – jlo
