Davao City – Seventy out-of-school youth from the districts of Tibungco and Bunawan underwent orientation to opportunities for learning, training and employment during the Youth Pathways Orientation held by the Opportunity 2.0 program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Isagani Busque, Opportunity 2 Convenor bared that participants, comprised of Alternative Learning System (ALS) completers, were divided into four groups following the minimum health standard required by the government.
He said the orientation was then held in two batches, first at Daniel M. Perez Central Elementary School in March 30 and the second at the Francisco Bustamante Central Elementary School in April 5.
Busque said young people learned about the program’s Work Ready Now Curriculum, a five-week work readiness course available for free for ALS Completers.
“After five weeks’ worth of classes, learners should now be ready to do sustainability and savings for further education in the future,” he said.
Busque said that under the WBL pathway, the course culminates in getting first-hand experience from local workplaces, while under BYOB, the OSY takes at least two to four hours of practical activities per week, also on their own time and in their own communities.
He said that after these trainings, the youth have the options to study higher education in vocational courses in high school or college.
The USAID Opportunity 2.0 activity was conducted with the full support of the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education XI headed by Dr. Jima Gelmo, supervisor of the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education XI, Bunawan District ALS Supervisor Julie G. Yarso, and other implementers of the alternative learning system in Davao City.
(Joey Sem Dalumpines, PIA XI | Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao OIC)