DOLE, Jollibee forge pact on youth employment

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is joining forces with fast-food chain Jollibee Foods Corp. to help disadvantaged Filipino youths find work. DOLE and Jollibee officials signed the accord for the Youth Education Youth Employability (YE-YE) project in Intramuros, Manila, the DOLE said in a news release Saturday. “Such partnerships will provide the youth with formal workplace experiences," Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said. According to the DOLE, the YE-YE project has three objectives:

• To address the needs of the disadvantaged youth to pursue an academic or technical-vocational, post-secondary course towards becoming more employable and more productive members of the labor force.
• To support human capital build-up by providing the youth some workplace experience while studying.
• To develop among the youth the proper work values and ethics through exposure to formal workplace situations and challenges under responsible adult supervision.

The DOLE pointed out that Jollibee employs more than 29,000 workers in its more than 600 branches nationwide and more than 50 overseas stores. Jollibee’s corporate network includes Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Manong Pepe’s, and Mang Inasal. — JE, GMA News