3,142 youths benefit from Cash for Training Project

Post date: Apr 09, 2014 7:51:45 AM

A total of 3,142 youths all over the region benefitted from the DSWD-TESDA Cash for Training Project (C4TP).

The province of Zamboanga del Norte has the biggest number of beneficiaries with 1,119 and closely followed by Zamboanga del Sur with 1,002. Zamboanga Sibugay province has 718 beneficiaires and Zamboanga City has 240. Isabela City in Basilan has 63 youths benefiting from this program.

C4TP, a project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and TESDA in close coordination with the local government units, is aimed to improve the plight and condition of the youth and empower them through skills training and assistance towards gainful employment and entrepreneurial activities. The DSWD provided the funds for the training and helped identify the beneficiaries through the City Social Welfare and Development Offices, while TESDA, through its 125 administered training institutions and private technical-vocational institutions conducted the skills training.

The project was implemented in two independent components — training for wage employment (trabaho) and the training for self-employment (hanapbuhay). While each of the beneficiaries received free training, free assessment, and allowance in the total amount of P20,000, those who chose the self-employment track were provided livelihood tool kits and training on entrepreneurship development.

Of the total beneficiaries in the region, a total of 2,566 or 82% chose the self-employment track and only 576 trained for wage employment. Statistics at the national level showed similar pattern with 65 percent or 10,666 trained for self-employment as of March 15,2013. This trend shows that more youths are interested to go into entrepreneurship and start their own micro businesses.

Among the courses offered for the C4TP in the region were Automotive Servicing with Driving, Bread and Pastry Production, Computer Hardware Servicing, Commercial Cooking, Electrical Installation Maintenance, Food Processing/Fish Product Packaging, Organic Agriculture Production, Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Beauty Care, and Hilot (wellness massage). (jocelynwee/TESDA9)