DOLE jumpstarts youth employment, migration program

After noting that youths may account for as much as 35 percent of overseas Filipino workers, the Department of Labor and Employment has jumpstarted its program for youth employment and migration. The DOLE started implementing the “Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth," which aims to improve youth employment and migration policies while increasing access of poor youths to decent work. "Many young people are even enticed by their OFW parents to join them overseas, thus exposing themselves to risks associated with migration, such as exploitation and human trafficking," DOLE Secretary Rosalnda Baldoz said in a news release. She cited National Statistics Office data that there are around 18.22 million young Filipinos aged 15-24 as of 2010. Of these, 6.82 million are employed, while 1.46 million are unemployed. Also, the data showed the youth are estimated to comprise about 35 percent of all overseas Filipino workers, which number translates to a “youth" share in the dollar remittances of OFWs. But Baldoz said what is not reflected in these numbers is the social costs of migration, including school drop-out rates due to lack of interest to finish school, work or build a career; and the tendency to be overly dependent on remittances to sustain productive lives. Lack of skills Baldoz noted the lack of skills is deeply rooted on young people’s lack of educational attainment or experience. She said education is the best step to decent work and employment opportunities, thus, the urgency to help the Filipino youth finish high school and pursue either a technical vocational course or enter university. On the other hand, she said Filipinos can embark on entrepreneurship at a young age. “As an alternative to wage employment, young Filipinos need to embrace and embark on entrepreneurship at an early age," she said. “I call on the private sector to engage pro-actively in strengthening employment opportunities for young people by promoting entrepreneurship, supporting technical vocational training, adopting apprenticeships and on-the-job training programs to address the issues of youth employment and migration," she added. Alternatives to migration program The "Alternatives to Migration" program is also known as the Joint Programme on Youth Employment and Migration (JP-YEM), a three-year program developed by the United Nations Country Team agencies, including:

• International Labor Organization
• International Organization for Migration
• UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

The program, which supports the Philippines’s vision of a productive and competitive youth. is supported by the Government of Spain. Implementing the joint program are the DOLE's Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, Institute for Labor Studies, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, with several government partner agencies, including:

• Department of Education
• National Economic Development Authority
• Department of Social Welfare and Development
• Department of Trade and Industry
• Philippine Commission on Women
• National Youth Commission
• Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
• provincial governments
• private sector employers organizations
• chambers of commerce; business associations
• non-government organizations
• workers’ organizations
• youth organizations.

“The joint program aims to achieve two results. First, we aim to improve our youth employment and migration policies and the implementation of these policies through the full participation of our stakeholders, and second, to increase the access of poor young women and men to decent work," Baldoz said. Baldoz said the joint program will initially provide direct services in four provinces: Masbate, Antique, Maguindanao, and Agusan del Sur. These provinces have high incidences of poor out-of-school youth, low enrolment rates, and where Millennium Development Goals are least likely to be achieved. — TJD, GMA News