Skills training to address underemployment, unemployment

THE skills training to be conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao Region is their way of helping lessen underemployment and unemployment in the region, said a Trade and Industry Development specialist.

With the current underemployment rate of the region at 17.8 percent and unemployment rate of Davao Region at 4.6 percent, Trade and Industry Davao Development Specialist Gema G. Estrada said their skills training are their means of helping solve the problem on underemployment.

“The skills training are of great help to lessen the underemployment rate, in order for the people to make alternatives thru making products and earning income,” said Estrada adding that last year they were able to impart knowledge on urban gardening wherein the participants were able to replicate in their own gardens at home. The harvests of which, they were able to sell and served as alternate sources of income. Aside from that, Estrada also said they were able conduct trainings for paper handicrafts making.

There were a total of 1,894 Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that were able to be assisted by DTI Davao through their skills and entrepreneurship under the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) event that is being organized with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Davao Region.

This year, different skills training will be conducted by the DTI Davao Region. These are Abaca Novelty Making and Flower Arrangement training which will both be on May 1 at SM City Davao and Gaisano Mall Davao respectively. On May 2 will be the Balloon Making training at the Gaisano Mall Davao. A pre-registration will be done from April 26 to 30 at the same malls. For these trainings, DTI is expecting about 80 participants per training.