DOLE, DTI link up for job, business fairs

Jobseekers can expect both employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the new concept of a “job cum business fair” come Labor Day here in the Bicol region. (Photo: DOLE – Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns/Facebook)

LEGAZPI CITY—Jobseekers can expect both employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the new concept of a “job cum business fair” come Labor Day here in the Bicol region.

“The concept, which is expressed in the ‘Trabaho, Negosyo at Kabuhayan’ or TNK caravan, will bring together the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Bicol and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in providing an array of decent work and business opportunities,” said Atty. Ma. Karina P. Trayvilla, DOLE-Bicol director.

She cited that the TNK concept is more than the filling up of available vacancies and hiring of jobseekers on the spot as was the norm in the previous years’ job fairs.

Trayvilla, in an interview, said this year’s fair would include the “Go Negosyo” concept on the setting up of a business and showcase DOLE’s livelihood-assisted projects.

She said the Legazpi City and Naga City TNK caravans would have around “2,000 plus solicited job vacancies” with 30 local firms, 10 overseas and 7 government agencies providing job openings to job applicants in the job fairs.

DOLE-Bicol through the tri-media in the region has announced to the public that the Albay and Sorsogon leg of the TNK caravan will be at the Pacific Mall in Legazpi City on May 1 while the Camarines Sur leg of the caravan will be at at SM City in Naga City on May 2 and 3.

On April 26, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed by officials of DOLE-Bicol, DTI and its other partners for the conduct of the job and business fairs adopting the TNK concept.

Trayvilla signed in behalf of DOLE-Bicol while a representative of DTI-Albay Provincial Director Rodrigo Aguilar signed in his behalf.

The two agencies’ other partners in promoting the TNK caravan who signed the MOA were officials from the People Management Association of the Philippines or PMAP-Bicol chapter, Junior Chamber International or JCI-Legazpi, Pacific Mall Corp.-Legazpi and ABS-CBN South Luzon.

The MOA specified that under the TNK concept DTI will take the lead in the “Negosyo” component by featuring successful local enterpreneurs and the giving of advice on business options that are specific to the locality.

Aside from this, the DTI booths will provide information on how government support could be secured in starting a business, preparing a business plan and other concerns such as business registration, e-commerce, and SME (small, medium enterprise) support and assistance.

The MOA specified that the “Trabaho” and “Kabuhayan” components of the TNK caravan will feature DOLE’s services such as job fair, employment coaching, provision of training and starter kits and the “one-stop-service center.”

Trayvilla said the blueprint for the so-called “employment and entrepreneurship partnership” from 2017 to 2022 was signed by DOLE and DTI on December 2, 2016.

The partnership agreement, guidelines for which was issued by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on April 5 this year, “aims to achieve full employment at 5 percent unemployment rate by creating 7.5 million jobs” mainly in the “key employment generating sectors,” said the MOA.

These key sectors are in the manufacturing, agri-business, construction, tourism, IT-BPM, transportation and logistics, and retail trade, added the MOA.