RECENTLY,
the local government of Jose Panganiban held a jobs fair to find employment for
locals with necessary skills.
It was
intended for certain companies wanting to hire from the town’s workforce.
The idea of
the fair was to match available jobs with available skills.
Through this
scheme, a number of Mambulaoans were hired for gainful employment, most of them
in Metro Manila.
Another of
this activity is expected towards the end of this year and already, many young
Mambulaoans who are either high school graduates but are unable to continue
with college education and those who dropped out from school are hoping to land
a job through this.
The
immediate question, however, is that between now and the holding of the next
jobs fair, how many of the local jobseekers would have the needed skills to
meet the demand of the jobs on offer?
Aware of the
issue that many in the local workforce are not qualified for the much-needed technical
skills here and overseas, the JP-LGU has pushed its skills training program by
boosting the resources of the Gov Roy Padilla Sr Training Institute which is
based in Larap.
Mayor
Ricarte Padilla told MWBuzz last April that the launching of the institute was
done through an act which he described as pikit-mata (a come-what-may exercise),
in the sense that there was no allotted funding for this.
Luckily,
there is an available property in Larap on which the building to house the
institute was built. Juggling some idle little funds here and there, the LGU
was able to raise the needed equipment, materials and instructors to go on with
the program.
The skills
training program which has been patterned from the program being used by TESDA
(Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) had already graduated a
number of Mambulaoan youths in welding, electrical, baking and dressmaking.
The second
batch is now on board for the next set of six-month training programs.
Through a
special arrangement, graduates at the institute undergo validation tests at
TESDA center in Labo, CamNorte, and those who made it are awarded certificates
of skill proficiency on the line of trade they took up.
Mayor
Padilla said the certificate of skill proficiency is as good as the one given
by TESDA training centers all over the country.
It would
easily open the door for employment to anyone holding this.
The students
at the institute are considered scholars of the LGU, since the local government
is funding their training (from meager resources) and has even provided
transportation to the students who are unable to pay for their daily tricycle
or bus fares from their homes to the institute just to make sure they attended
their classes daily.
Sources told
MWBuzz that more and more applicants are taking chances at landing a training
slot at the institute.
The increase
in the number of students has given a new problem – availability of equipment
and other training facilities to cater to every trainee.
This prompted
Mayor Padilla to appeal for support, saying that this is now an opportunity for
many professional Mambulaoans especially those who are based overseas to help
expand the institute’s reach by helping out in acquiring more training
equipment such as welding machines, electrical tools, sewing machines and
baking equipment.
Depending on
the available funds this year, the institute is also branching out into
Information Technology training program.
With the
needed equipment at its disposal, the institute would be able to accommodate
more learners and at the same time ensure that those who wanted to learn a
second skill could do so anytime.
This is also
a timely reminder that the economic journey of the community begins at home.
A community
with most of its citizens being jobless is a community that will be a burden to
the local government -- like it or not.
On the other
hand, a community which can stand on its own feet because its citizens are actively
engaged in productive economic activities is a community that will boost its
local government as its citizens can pay the right amount of taxes and fees.
It is also
an incentive for everybody to ensure that law and order in the community is
maintained.
But first,
everything has to start with a job – a well-paying job for that matter.
And such job
should be earned through the right skill, which every one of us could – by
pooling resources together – easily provide to those in need.
This is
Bayanihan on a higher level and professional Mambulaoans --either overseas or
elsewhere in the Philippines – should be more than proud to be a part of.
The mantra
is: “It’s time to give back to the community … once more”.
- Alfredo P Hernandez
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Lapima donated a welding machine last month....
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