146 youths attend C4TP mass graduation

Post date: Apr 09, 2014 7:48:35 AM

One hundred forty six graduates of the different training programs/qualifications under the Self-Employment Track of the Cash for Training Project (C4TP) attended the mass graduation held on May 31, 2013 at the Grand Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City.

Mass graduation was done to give recognition to 146 youths who chose the Self-Employment Track or the Hanapbuhay Category. The beneficiaries were given livelihood tool kits based on their chosen qualification to enable them to start their micro-businesses immediately. The 94 beneficiaires under the Wage Employment track had their graduation immediately after their training program.

The event was graced by the Mr. Antonio Orendain, Jr., the City Administrator, who represented Mayor Celso Lobregat; OIC-Regional Director of the DSWD, Dir. Zenaida Arevalo; and Mr. Victor Fernandez, Jr., president of the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc.

Cash for Training (C4TP) is a project that gave free training, free competency assessment, allowance to all the beneficiaries in the amount of P20,000. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided the funds for the training and helped identify the beneficiaries through the City Social Welfare and Development Offices, while the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), through its administered training institutions and partner technical-vocational institutions conducted the skills training.

The qualifications/training programs taken by the 240 C4TP beneficiaries in Zamboanga City included Automotive Servicing with Driving, Beauty Care, Bread and Pastry Production, Computer Hardware Servicing, Electrical Installation Maintenance, Food and Beverages Services, and Shielded Metal Arc Welding.

This project, which ran from December 2012-May 2013, was designed to improve the plight and condition of the youth and empower them through skills training and assistance towards gainful employment and entrepreneurial activities. It was implemented in two independent components — training for wage employment (trabaho) and the training for self-employment (hanapbuhay). (jocelynwee/TESDA 9)