City, DOLE eye youth employment pact

The city council adopted resolution no. 368, series of 2024, authorizing Mayor Benjamin Magalong, representing the city government, to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the implementation of the JobStart Philippines program in the Summer Capital.

The program aims to shorten the youth’s school-to-work transition by enhancing the knowledge and skills acquired in formal education or technical training by job seekers in order for them to become more responsive to the demands of the labor market.

“With the participation of the private sector and other stakeholders, the program will also help develop the life skills of the youth, including those relevant to the values of professionalism and work appreciation and provide trainees with a conducive and safe work environment or venue where they can apply relevant theories and code of ethics,” the measure stated.

Another program objective is to further improve the delivery of employment facilitation services by the public employment service office (PESOs) that are maintained by local government units (LGUs) and linked to the DOLE’s field and regional offices and central office for coordination and technical supervision.

The LGUs, through its PESOs, shall serve as the main partners of the DOLE in implementing the JobStart program at the local level and its successful operation is highly dependent on the support and cooperation of the LGUs, through its PESOs, as the program’s implementing body.

The resolution disclosed that a pilot implementation of the program was launched in May 2014 and implemented in four LGUs (Gen. Trias city, Cavite; San Fernando, Pampanga; Taguig and Quezon cities) to test the effectiveness of its design. To scale up its implementation, a total of 52 LGUs are covered by the program. 

The MOA shall be submitted to the local legislature for confirmation, the measure added. – Gaby B. Keith