1,600 at-risk youths to benefit from JobStart’s “full-cycle” employment facilitation service

From the Department of Labor and Employment

Secretary of Labor and Employment Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday said that 1,600 at-risk young people will receive “full-cycle” employment facilitation service when the DOLE starts rolling out JobStart Philippines this year.

“Full-cycle employment facilitation includes enhanced career assessment and guidance, life skills training, technical skills training, and internship, which are the major building blocks in preparing young people for productive employment,” said Sec. Baldoz.

“JobStart Philippines is one of our initiatives to address youth unemployment in the country. It is a boost to the DOLE’s strategy of facilitating job matching and placement of workers which seeks to help the Department realize the outcome of enhanced employability of workers and competitiveness of enterprises. The DOLE works to make it easy and fast for jobseekers to find jobs that fits their qualifications, interests, and career inclinations,” she added.

The JobStart Philippines Program is an employment facilitation initiative of the DOLE, Asian Development Bank, and the Government of Canada for the Filipino youth.

The program is to be piloted in the Public Employment Service Offices of four local government units (LGUs), namely: San Fernando, Pampanga; Gen. Trias, Cavite; and Taguig City and Quezon City in the National Capital Region.

Under the program, a total of 1,600 young people at-risk will be benefited, 900 of them from Quezon City; 360 from San Fernando, Pampanga; 240 from Taguig City; and 100 from Gen. Trias.

“These youth will have access to technical and life skills training required or recommended by employers; knowledge on conducting job searches; holistic employability through multi-faceted skills training; career guidance and employment coaching; labor market information system and infrastructure; and referral.

“Most importantly, they will receive stipends of between P200 to P300 during their training and 75 percent of minimum wage during a six-month internship,” said Baldoz.

The program also involves employers as partners, who will have the opportunity to hire interns with life skills and with employer-determined vocational training paid by JobStart; and reduced cost of internship (they will pay the interns 75% of the minimum wage).

“Employers who will participate in the program will receive P9,000 training fee per intern. They will also have the opportunity to demonstrate corporate social responsibility in the communities where they operate,” Baldoz said.

On the other hand, the PESOs which will be the front-line implementers of the program will acquire new knowledge and develop capabilities ranging from assessment of jobseekers; career guidance and employment coaching; life skills and technical training; job matching to internship; and case tracking and management.

Baldoz said the PESOs will assess the job search period and placement of youth to employment after the pilot of the program, with the use of a built-in monitoring and evaluation of impact.

“Registration for employers, as well as for prospective beneficiaries who would like to participate is ongoing in the four pilot areas,” said Baldoz.

For employers, they must be legitimate businesses operating in the catchment areas of the pilot PESOs, and must have the capacity and interest to offer internships; identify and oversee training; and provide up to six-month internships with pay of at least 75 percent of the minimum wage. For prospective youth beneficiaries, they must be at least 18 but not more than 24 years old; high school graduate; must not have more than one-year work experience; and not currently working, enrolled in a study or training, and not seeking work.

dole.gov.ph