MANILA — A House leader lauded on Thursday the rollout of JobStart Philippines, a program aimed at shortening the youth’s school-to-work transition.
House appropriations committee chairman Karlo Nograles, principal author of Republic Act (RA) 10869 or the JobStart Philippines Act, said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has already released the implementing rules and regulations of the said act through Department Order No. 179.
Nograles said the JobStart program addresses youth unemployment in the country by making young Filipinos work-ready through skills training and knowledge transfer.
“Now, Filipinos as young as 18 years old are guaranteed proper training by the State even as they prepare to take on the challenges associated with real-world employment,” said Nograles.
Under the DO 179, a JobStart trainee must be a Filipino citizen aged 18 to 24 years old and must have reached at least high school level.
Included in the IRR is the full cycle employment facilitation services such as registration; client assessment; life skills training with one-on-one coaching; technical training; job matching; and referrals to employers either for further technical training, internship or for employment.
Also training modules, the contents of which are subject to review by DOLE in consultation with the Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and other stakeholders, will be provided.
“Unemployment is high in the youth sector because companies are reluctant to hire young individuals who have no work experience or formal training. This will change with JobStart,” Nograles said.
The Public Employment Service Office (PESO), the primary institution responsible for implementing labor market programs at the local level, is tasked to carry out the program including setting the registration schedules. (PNA)