THE out-of-school youth in Tagbilaran, Bohol will soon have better access to employment opportunities, as the local government of Tagbilaran City, key government agencies, and private sector representatives signed a memorandum of agreement to implement a career readiness program for the city’s vulnerable sector.

The MOA signing institutionalized the “Employment and Livelihood Program for Out-of-School Youth,” an initiative of the Youth Development Alliance of Tagbilaran City that provides career guidance for OSY and Alternative Learning System Senior High School learners.

The city government of Tagbilaran through the City Livelihood and Community Development Unit, Department of Labor and Employment-Region VII, Department of Trade and Industry – Region VII, Tagbilaran City Public Employment Service Office, Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Junior Chamber International Boholana Kisses and Bohol Sandugo, People Management Association of the Philippines, and the Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts, and Restaurants signed the memorandum of agreement.

The institutionalized program includes the conduct of an annual career guidance seminar with mock interviews among ALS SHS learners, the support of youth entrepreneurship mentoring, and the provision of livelihood opportunities for out-of-school youth along with other relevant training sessions.

As specified in the agreement, DepEd Tagbilaran City will gather ALS SHS learners and profile aspiring entrepreneurs who will receive training from DTI Bohol.

The department will also list deserving and qualified ALS learners for the Special Program for Employment of Students, supported by the Tagbilaran City PESO.

The City Livelihood and Community Development Unit will provide livelihood training and opportunities, while DOLE will offer relevant labor market information. Additionally, DepEd will assist learners in creating their resumes.

“We believe that the youth is the future of our country. They play a very big role in nation-building. Hence, I think that the private sector should also give them more opportunities to become future leaders of our country. We need a collaboration like what we are doing today. Kailangan talaga there’s a collaboration with the government, with the private sector or with the different companies for example in the province, and of course, with the youth organizations.”

In addition, experts from the private sector including the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Junior Chamber International Bohol Sandugo and Boholana Kisses, PMAP- Bohol, and BAHRR will share technical knowledge and conduct mock interview sessions to boost the learners’ confidence and employment competitiveness.

Over 50 ALS SHS learners participated in this year’s career guidance seminar. After the MOA signing, the participants were provided with the latest labor market trends and information about in-demand jobs in the city.

As part of the seminar, the youth also received various training, including life skills and handling job interviews, to increase their employability and help them succeed in their careers.

The development of the institutionalized Employment and Livelihood Program for OSY is a result of the interventions of the USAID Opportunity 2.0 (O2) program.

The O2 program supports and strengthens existing systems and mechanisms in the Philippines to provide second-chance opportunities to OSY across 15 cities.

It is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by the Education Development Center along with its consortium partners Philippine Business for Education, Accenture, Catholic Relief Services, Voluntary Services Overseas, and SEAMEO INNOTECH.

To support positive youth development, O2 works with YDAs in partner cities to assist out-of-school youth by mobilizing resources and providing quality programs and services to ensure that they have access to learning and earning opportunities.

As of January 2024, the O2 program has assisted a total of 1,260 out-of-school youth in Tagbilaran City.

At least 84 of them have been trained in leadership skills and 819 have been mobilized as youth volunteers.

In addition, 212 private sector employers have been engaged to facilitate training and provide support to business start-ups as mentors, speakers, or work immersion hosts.