From out-of-school youth to job-ready graduates
At least 212 Cebuano out-of-school youth recently graduated from the Jobstart Life Skills Training program, a 10-day intensive life skills training that equips the youth to be ready for employment.
During the training held last Sept. 4 to 15 at SKILLS center, the students were introduced to different life skills, including stress management and money management, and were taught to formulate an action plan, among other topics.
Jeniffer Arańas, 21, a participant who was awarded as Model Jobstart Awardee in her class shared that if were not for Jobstart, she would not learn anything and will not stand a chance to get employed.
“Ten days of learning life skills, of discovering their inner selves, of touching each other’s’ hearts... I am proud of these young Cebuanos who graduated from Jobstart’s intensive Life Skills Training and gave such beautiful class presentation,” Trixie Es- guerra, Batch 2 Cebu Area Leader and Jobstart trainer, said of her students.
One of her students, a young father providing for his family, went to class everyday and attended to a side line job at night, barely getting any sleep throughout the program.
“I also had two students who had to leave their houses at 4 a.m. every day just so they can make it to class, and they were never absent nor late. And these are just two stories of sacrifice, perseverance and ambition. I believe that all these out-of-school youth will make it. They will succeed in life and significantly contribute to the world. They just need support from organizations and people who will show them that they are worth it,” shared Esguerra.
Jobstart Life Skills Training Program is made possible by the Bureau of Local Employment in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and the Canadian Government. The life skills training is handled by the Institute of Integrality, Inc. To know more about the Job start Life Skills Training Program, www.facebook. com/ life skills by integral i ty.