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Tuesday, October 24, 2017
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UNEMPLOYMENT is a big problem. Lack of job opportunities here has forced many to seek greener pastures abroad. In a monitoring made by the Associated Labor Unions – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, there are currently close to 12 million unemployed and underemployed individuals. There are no new decent jobs created and if there are jobs, these have no security of tenure, or skills and jobs are mismatched.
But not much public attention has been given to perhaps one important employment measure addressing unemployment, specifically youth unemployment – the recent rollout of the JobStart Philippines program. We wonder why.
Unemployment is high in the youth sector because companies are reluctant to hire young individuals who have no work experience or formal training. The government’s JobStart program ensures skills training, knowledge transfer and the necessary boost of confidence among the youth.
The Labor department has finally released recently the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the program, also known as Republic Act (RA) 10869 which was signed into law last year yet. Now, Filipinos as young as 18 years old are guaranteed proper training by the State even as they prepare to take on the challenges associated with real-world employment.
Department Order (DO) No. 179 opens the JobStart program to Filipino citizens aged 18 to 24 years old, although those as young as 17 can already register provided that they will be 18 upon the start of training. Potential trainees must have at least reached high school level. Spelled out in IRR are the program’s full cycle employment facilitation services such as registration, client assessment, life skills training with one-on-one coaching, technical training, job matching, and referrals to employers either for further technical training, internship or for employment.
Early this month, the IRR for RA 10771, otherwise known as the Green Jobs Act, was also released. This law provides tax incentives to companies that generate green jobs or jobs or employments that contribute to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment be it in the agriculture, industry or services sector.
The measure further defines green jobs as “decent jobs that are productive, respect the rights of workers, deliver a fair income, provide security in the workplace and social protection for families, and promote social dialogue.”
It is hoped that these two recent employment measures would benefit many unemployed and underemployed Filipinos. Eradicating poverty starts by creating an environment conducive for job creation and employment.
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