By MARK FRANCISCO
SKILLS Mastery Institute led by vibrant academic-entrepreneur Irene Floro brings the not in education, employment, training (NEET) program of YouthWorks PH via green skills training.
Over 800 students will be the beneficiaries of the program which was institutionalized with an agreement signing May 22 at Dynasty Court Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City.
Programs earmarked for green skills are food and beverages, cookery, bread and pastry, organic agriculture program and heavy equipment.
“Green” employers like solar power farms, as well as content generators within the creative industries, are expected to drive employment in the next few years, making it crucial to address mismatched skills that prevent graduates from taking on these jobs seamlessly, according to Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).
Along with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), PBEd is implementing YouthWorks PH.
Started in 2018, the program brings together employers, schools and the governmnent to provide work-based training for unemployed out-of-school youth.
Training for the green skills programs is expected to last up to three months with the students to graduate by September.
Since its launch in 2018, YouthWorks PH has signed up over 95 partners from the private sector, civil society and government.
These partnerships span the sectors of construction, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, retail and others, such as renewable enery and information technology.
Through these partnerships, over 15,000 work-based training positions have been created and over 5,800 youth NEET have been placed in the flexible training for work program with 47 percent of YouthWorks PH graduates directly employed by partner companies of the project.
