A technical and vocational education and training (TVET) scholarship program managed by the Iloilo Children Welfare Foundation (ICWF) Inc, a non-government organization that promotes child rights, continues to reach out to the youth to equip them with skills to find jobs in the future.
“The intention is to reach out to vulnerable youths, out-of-school youths (OSYs), children-in-conflict with the law (CICL), teenage mothers or fathers, persons with physical disabilities, children at risk (CAR) and graduates of Alternative Learning System (ALS) aged 18 to 24 years old to provide them with skills training to maximize their potential and give them opportunity to look for work in the future, address the economic crisis that they experience, and lessen youth unemployment in Iloilo City,” ICWF project officer Windy Ivy Baclas said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Baclas said they launched the project in 2019 targeting a minimum of 100 youth beneficiaries for three years or until 2021.
During the first year, the project produced 10 graduates on beauty care and skills training, and 20 more for contact center services National Certificate Level II (NC II) in the last quarter of 2020.
National Certificate demonstrates the expertise of the graduate in a particular skill.
On Monday, ICWF signed an agreement with the Iloilo City government and the Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC) Molo campus for three competencies to include housekeeping services, basic welding and fabrication, and plumbing NC II for this year.
The basic welding and fabrication will start on April 27 for 21 to 26 days, housekeeping services that will run for 45 days in May, and plumbing for 21 to 26 days in June.
She said that they are also looking for other competencies accredited with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as they hope to train around 70 learners in time for the culmination of the project this year.
Apart from free training (which includes transportation and meal allowance), learners can also receive starter tool kits after completion depending on their performance.
“Aside from that we also provide seminars and training, values formation, life skills employability skills, coaching and mentoring, occupational safety and health training as preparation when they look for work,” she added.
They are also being assisted while looking for work or when joining job fairs.
“Once they are employed, we have a six months exit strategy where we mold them to become better in their job,” she added.
Baclas said the competencies that they chose are products of their baseline study conducted through focus group discussions and surveys participated by the target beneficiaries, parents, and partner stakeholders.
“These courses are not just in-demand but it is what they want,” she added.
With the booming construction in Iloilo City, plumbing and welding are in demand. Housekeeping services are also sought after, especially in janitorial services and hospitals and not just hotels.
Meantime, TIIC Molo campus administrator Maria Mathilde Octavio in a phone interview said they will be providing the venue and training for the beneficiaries of the ICWF project.
TIIC, which is owned by the city government, is one of the accredited training providers of TESDA.
She added that all the necessary minimum health protocols will be observed during the duration of the training.
Meantime, apart from the partnership with ICWF, the city government has its own Uswag Skills Enhancement and Livelihood Program that has already produced graduates in cooking and plumbing NC II competencies.
Of the 24 plumbing NC II graduates, six will be hired by the city government to be assigned to the beautification program and city engineer’s office.
She added that plumbers are among the most in-demand but are scarce to find nowadays.
“Our graduates are competent in the skills because we have very rigid training,” she said. (PNA)
