JobStart produces over 200 graduates

CEBU, Philippines — The labor agency recently produced over 200 graduates of Life Skills Training (LST) in Cebu City under the JobStart program.

The LST is the first component of the full cycle assistance package under the JobStart Philippines.

It was the second batch of LST graduates in Cebu City for this year.

The first batch graduated in August and has already started their technical training with partner-employers.

Department of Labor and Employment-7 OIC regional head Cyril Ticao said the good number of LST graduates in Cebu City demonstrated that more people have become aware of the JobStart Philippines program.

He urged parents and the young people especially those who are considered at-risk youth in Cebu City to visit the Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP) and inquire about the program.

The common skills offered in the next training, the technical training, are housekeeping; front office work; dining and kitchen staff; restaurant crew; welding; carpentry; and electrical-related work.

The Life Skills Training is an integral component of the full-cycle employment facilitation service under JobStart Philippines, which likewise offers one-on-one career guidance among the beneficiaries.

JobStart is a partnership program of the DOLE, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

In the Philippines where school-to-work transition for high school and college graduates is considerably long, JobStart is one of the measures seen and expected to address youth unemployment.

School-to-work transition describes the activities and time taken by a young person to find a job since leaving school or college. The transition may include activities such as active job search; short term skills training; temporary work; and inactivity – staying at home out of employment, education and training.

A young person’s slow transition from school to work reduces his or her chances of finding a good job because his or her ‘marketability’ to employers diminishes.

For 2017 up to 2022, high school graduates should be able to find work within 9 to 12 months and 6 to 9 months for college graduates.

In order to address the target, the DOLE seeks that more employment opportunities are afforded to job seekers especially the unemployed youth, which constitutes a big percentage of the country’s overall unemployment rate. (FREEMAN)