MANILA – As the Philippine economy bounces back with the easing of quarantine restrictions, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) double down in bridging at least 1,200 youths to training and employment opportunities with the recently signed ₱1.5-million partnership with the Provincial Government of Bohol and online jobs portal FastJobs PH.
In a live partnership launch via Facebook on Friday, March 18, 2022, the Provincial Government of Bohol formalized its commitment to facilitate government-industry-academe collaboration in promoting skills development for at least 600 youths. This partnership will expand YouthWorks PH’s geographical reach in the Visayas region with Bohol as its new project site for recruitment and training.
FastJobs, the Philippines’ fastest growing online jobs portal and partner for every blue-collar worker, will further youth employability efforts as they provide a platform where the youth can access, research, apply, and participate in work-based training programs and be equipped with the necessary skills and connection in landing a job. At least 600 blue-collar job opportunities await the youth in 40 companies in the food and beverage services, manufacturing, retail, sales, and logistics sector.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) projects that eased restrictions in most parts of the country are expected to generate an estimated ₱9.4 billion per week of economic activity in gross value-added terms and lessen 170,000 unemployed workers over the next quarter. With YouthWorks PH’s collaboration with the Bohol provincial government and FastJobs PH, more youths will be able to take part in steering the Philippine economy to full recovery.
“YouthWorks PH has been working to mobilize partners to achieve its mission of youth employment despite the pandemic. As a testament to the resiliency of our partners, we now have opened more than 11,000 training positions across the country, and we’ve already placed close to 3,000 youth with partners for work-based training. We are excited to welcome the Provincial Government of Bohol and FastJobs PH into our growing family. The opportunities they will provide will help the youth become better individuals. The skills they will learn will develop them into productive employees or entrepreneurs, and valued members of their communities,” stated Dr. Thomas LeBlanc, Director of USAID Philippines Office of Education.
“Our just cause in PBEd is to have at least half of the 3.9 million Filipino youths not in education, employment, or training taking on the world with improved skills by 2030. YouthWorks PH will contribute towards achieving this goal by giving the youth in-demand tech-voc skills. This may seem unimaginable today, but so was returning to our normal lives after the pandemic when it upended our way of living two years ago. Yet here we are today with hopes rekindled as the pandemic recedes. With the help of our partners, we can dare to hope for endless possibilities for our beloved youth.” added PBEd Executive Director and YouthWorks PH Chief of Party Love Basillote.