THE United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) on June 1 launched YouthWorks PH, a five-year, P1.7-billion work-force development project, which aims to connect out-of-school youth with training and employment opportunities.
Through YouthWorks PH, Usaid and PBEd will engage the government and private-sector partners to provide the youth with work-based training positions.
According to the United States’s Embassy in Manila, universities and training institutions will complement these positions with classroom-based skills training and competency certifications.
Under the program, youth participants will also receive life-skills training to prepare them for the workplace.
During the launch, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Michael Klecheski said the partnership would further boost the capacities of young Filipinos who may not have the opportunity to pursue education, training or a career.
Klecheski explained that the project is essentially a tool for the youth to “realize their full potential while positively contributing to their communities.”
PBEd’s Chairman Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. echoed the same sentiments that the partnership will surely elevate the Filipino youth “to greater heights of global competitiveness, industry relevance and social responsiveness.”
Usaid and PBEd will implement the project in key cities in the Philippines: Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Zamboanga, General Santos, Iloilo, Cebu and in the National Capital Region.
It will train 4,100 youth and enhance the skill sets of at least 40,000 young Filipinos in the next five years so they can better match with work-force needs.
Image credits: Ma. Teresa Montemayor