GINGOOG CITY, MISAMIS ORIENTAL – To build on existing government programs on social protection and human capital development in line with the priorities of the Philippine Development Plan, YouthWorks PH (YWPH) teamed up with Department of Social Welfare and Development Region X (DSWD X) to provide free skills training and job opportunities to unemployed and out-of-school-youths in the Northern Mindanao region.
This collaboration will allow target beneficiaries from DSWD Region X’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as well as children in conflict with the law (CICL) who are currently at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth to access free online mentoring, technical-vocational learning and work-based training provided by YWPH partners. At the end of their training, there is potential employment in a major industry in the region. At the same time, the department will also provide employment facilitation grant worth P5,000 for every employed youth under the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
YWPH, represented by its Chief of Party Rhea Peñaflor and DSWD X, represented by its Regional Director Ramel Jamen, Asst. Regional Director for Operations Ronald Ryan Cui and Rehabilitation Center for Youth Head Sonia Ipang formalized this significant partnership on Monday, January 23.
“With this collaboration, we will sustain the gains of human capital development that we have started with our 4Ps and sustainable livelihood program. Building on them through the YouthWorks PH program, we aim to equip the youth with the skills they need to lead productive lives and lead this nation to greater prosperity,” Peñaflor said.
This year, YWPH aims to forge more partnerships with other DSWD regional offices to be able to reach out to more vulnerable youths around the country.
“Our mission in YWPH is to bring everyone together in the government, industry, and academe to invest in the youth and future workforce. May this spark further support and interest from every regional office in DSWD so that we may empower more youth to reach their full potential through gainful and meaningful employment,” Peñaflor said.
Since its launch by USAID and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) in 2018, YWPH has inked partnership agreements with over 95 partners from the private sector, civil society, and government, and has helped around 5,000 youths, with 61% of its graduates directly employed by partner companies of the project.
