Robredo teams up with USAID, PBEd to train unemployed, outschool youth

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has a new project amid the COVID-19 pandemic — this time, working with their partner agencies in training unemployed Filipinos and out-of-school youth.

According to the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Robredo teamed up with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) in launching a program where free technical-vocational skills and employability training would be given to at least 1,000 beneficiaries across the country.

The three agencies pledged a total of P17.15 million to support the project, an offshoot of the TrabaHOPE initiative of OVP’s BAYANIHANAPBUHAY program.

“We are grateful for this partnership with USAID and PBEd, which will allow us to open more doors for young people, who may need to support themselves and their families, especially during the COVID-19 crisis,” Robredo said on Thursday.

“This collaboration is yet another proof that the spirit of Bayanihan continues to inspire our commitment to uplift the lives of those who are in need,” she added.

Under the project, the training needs of out-of-school youths (OSYs) aged 18 to 30, who would qualify for the YouthWorks PH’s technical-vocational program, would be shouldered by OVP and its partners.

Moreover, YouthWorks PH’s private-sector partners from the food and beverage service, construction, manufacturing, and IT sectors will provide additional support such as daily training allowance and opportunities for eventual employment to the trainees.

USAID Philippines mission director Lawrence Hardy II said that they are thanking  OVP for the chance to help boost economic development in the country.

“We would like to thank the OVP for partnering with us in promoting broad-based economic development in the Philippines by supporting youth in need of upskilling and employment opportunities,” Hardy said.

“USAID remains committed to work with our partners in government and the private sector to ensure that economic growth remains inclusive and sustainable for all,” he added.

The tech-voc assistance is the latest project of OVP and Robredo, who have launched various initiatives with their private sector partners as the lockdowns went by.

Aside from launching donation drives to fund the purchase of personal protective equipment, testing kits, and recently, laptops and gadgets for students’ online classes, OVP also offered free shuttle service and dormitories for frontliners.

This week, Robredo visited various Community Learning Hubs — areas that students can visit when they need to use gadgets and other facilities. [ac]