Project eyed to prepare students for employment

To address the gaps in technicalvocational schools and improve the employability of Filipino students, a global non-government organization is introducing a curriculum that would develop both the technical and soft skills of the youth.

Education Development Center, Inc. is embarking on a project called Accelerated Work Achievement and Readiness for Employment ( AWARE) in Cebu in partnership with the J. P. Morgan Chase Foundation.

As a corporate responsibility pilot initiative of the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, AWARE is designed to improve the state of workforce development in major urban regions of Indonesia and the Philippines.

It is envisioned to connect the supply and demand side of labor through EDC's WorkBased- Learning initiatives and accredited Work Ready Now! Curriculum.

Project coordinator Katherine Belen said that they saw the need to train students particularly in technical-vocational schools to develop their soft skills to be able to find sustainable work and be successful in the workplace.

She cited that these soft skills, which include having good work ethics and proficient communication skills, shall complement their hard skills. She added that they plan to also train teachers.

" In this way, they could find the right job and prepare themselves for better companies," she said.

The association is also working with the Department of Education ( DepEd) and technical and vocational schools in the country.

Belen added that they also collaborate with companies and industries to place their students for their six- month apprenticeship during the work- based learning program.

The AWARE project is targeted to be implemented within two years in three TESDA accredited schools in Cebu and Manila. Trainers of the program will be from Boston, Massachusetts.

She further revealed that they are eyeing to integrate the AWARE curriculum in the DepEd development program soon.

Funded by USAID, EDC is an international nonprofit organization that designs, delivers, and evaluates innovative programs to address the most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development.