US rolls out P1.9-B project for Filipino out-of-school youth

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, TESDA Director-General Isidro Lapeña, and US Ambassador Sung Kim join more than 500 participants from across the Philippines for the launch of USAID’s Opportunity 2.0 project on Wednesday (Aug. 19, 2020). The PHP1.9-billion project will support at least 180,000 out-of-school youth in the Philippines. (Screenshot by US Embassy in Manila via PNA)

MANILA — The United States government rolled out a PHP1.9-billion project to support at least 180,000 out-of-school youth across the Philippines.

Under the five-year Opportunity 2.0: Second-chance Opportunities for Out-of-school Youth project, Washington, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will partner with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in providing relevant education and employability skills to the youth-beneficiaries.

“Through this new partnership, we can leverage a range of resources to maximize the potential of the Filipino youth, particularly those who are out-of-school or unemployed.

With the right knowledge, attitudes, and skills, they will play a pivotal role in this great country’s growth and success over the long-term,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said Wednesday.

USAID will partner with local governments in 12 cities across the country to set up Youth Development Alliances, which will mobilize resources to help their out-of-school youth.

The program will also partner with over 2,200 employers and at least 50 education or training institutions, including major hubs like Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao.

The program will be implemented by the US-based Education Development Center, with partners Accenture, Philippine Business for Education, Catholic Relief Services, Voluntary Services Overseas, and SEAMEO-Innotech.

The program launch on Wednesday also featured DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones and TESDA Director-General Isidro Lapeña. Over 500 participants from across the country joined the virtual event.