Capacitating HS grads thru work-based skills training

MANILA — While having a college degree remains the best way to get into a high-paying job or a stable career, it is not the only means by which you could land a good job and secure a bright future for your family.

Joey Rosal, EEI Corporation Skills Training and Certification Group senior manager, believes in this idea, emphasizing that high school graduates have huge potential to be employed if provided proper industry training.

“Hindi rin naman lahat tungkol sa trabaho ay matututunan mo sa paaralan. Alam naman natin na talagang malaki ang gap between the academe and the industry so we as part of the industry we’re trying to fill the gap with a good program so we can prepare the youth with acquired competency and knowledge in the skills that they will choose,” Rosal told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

EEI Corporation, a construction company that provides a wide range of engineering services — construction of large scale, heavy and industrial projects as well as infrastructure and property development, is one of the companies that partnered with the Philippine Business Education (PBEd) in providing skills training that may lead to employment through its YouthWorks program.

YouthWorks recruitment drive

Nineteen-year-old, RJ (not his real name) is one of the 600 high school graduates who registered for PBEd’s recruitment drive at the University of Makati on Sunday.

“Inimbitahan po kami dito ng SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) officials namin para po makakuha raw kami ng tamang training para din daw makapagtrabaho kami habang hindi pa nagka-college (We were invited here by our SK officials so we can get proper training, so that we can work while we’re not yet in college),” he said.

RJ added that he wants to work and earn his own money in order to free his parents from the responsibility of sending him to college.

PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote said YouthWorks is a five-year training program, where industries commit to create at least 1,000 work-based training positions per year for the youth who are not in education, employment or training.

Basillote added that PBEd launched the program last year with the United States Agency for International Development to help the youth gain work experience so they could be empowered to drive democracy, economic growth, and transformation of the country.

“For our Metro Manila drive, just two weeks ago we were in Quezon City, in addition to our drive here in Makati and around 450 youth registered there. So, why do we promote tech-voc (technical-vocational) because I came from a family supported by tech-voc at ang lola ko ay isang weaver at ang lolo ko ay isang karpintero (and my grandmother is a weaver and my grandfather is a carpenter),” she said.

Through their hard work, Basillote related that her grandfather and grandmother were able to raise all their children and send them to school.

“They provided a better future not only for their children but for their grandchildren as well,” she added.

The process

YouthWorks is open to 18 to 24 years old who finished high school before or after the K to 12 implementation.

They can register and be part of the training for possible jobs in construction, manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries, energy, and banking and finance as long as they are not in education, employment or training.

Interested youth must prepare their birth certificate, high school diploma and proof of parents’ or family’s income.

To know where they can register, they can check PBEd’s website for the recruitment drive schedules.

Successful applicants will be matched with the available industry and life skills training programs based on their credentials. The life skills training includes personal development, communication with other people, work ethics, leadership, safety and health in the workplace, rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, and financial literacy.

All trainees will be provided with training allowance and a certificate after they have completed the work-based training.

Youth empowerment

Believing in the capabilities of the present-day youth, Rosal said young people sometimes need a chance to get a job and become productive members of society.

“Magandang opportunity ito in empowering the youth and nagpapasalamat kami na nakasama kami sa mga workforce training program with the University of Makati para makatulong sa mga kabataan (This is a good opportunity in empowering the youth and we thank [PBEd] that we’re one of those that provide workforce training program with the University of Makati to help the youth),” he said.

Rosal explained that the University of Makati will train successful applicants for a month. Afterwards, EEI will provide them industry training for 20 days.

“Then, one month actual training at the job site then we’ll employ them into our workforce.

We’ll accommodate 30 youth for masonry and 30 youth for tile setting, and this program that we have is for males, may be other partners can accommodate the female applicants. We believe that these youth can do the job, they’re physically fit for the job,” he said.

To ensure their healthy work relationship with their bosses and co-workers, Rosal said EEI has included personality development and values formation in their training program.