LAOAG CITY, March 20 (PNA) — Some 1,382 youth in Ilocos Norte will be hired under the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), the province’s employment program for the youth with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Based on a report from DOLE, local government units (LGUs), educational institutions and private companies in the province have pledged to employ in-school and out-of-school youth for a period of 20-52 days in support of Governor Imee Marcos’ Task Force Trabaho program.
“The program entails a corresponding budget of P8, 949,017.70 for the SPES workers’ salaries, P3, 579,607.08 of which will be covered by the DOLE-1; while P5,369,410.62 will come from the participating employers,” DOLE-1 Regional Director Grace Ursua said.
Ursua also said the provincial government would open short-term but gainful employment for 400 youth while Laoag City would hire 300 students.
The provincial government will shoulder 60 percent of the SPES workers’ salaries, which is equivalent to Php 1,569,960. The DOLE-1 will pay the remaining 40 percent, or a total of Php 1,046,640.
Following the same scheme, Laoag City will cover Php 1,115,640 of the student-workers’ salaries; while the DOLE-1 will pay Php 743,760.
The participating LGUs in Ilocos Norte include Piddig, Carasi, Pasuquin, Vintar, Bacarra, Adams, Pagudpud, Sarrat, Bangui in the province’s first district and Pinili, Batac City, Badoc, Banna, Solsona, San Nicolas, Paoay and Currimao in the second district.
Educational institutions like the Mariano Marcos State University, Divine Word College of Laoag, Piddig National High School and Davila National High School are also participating in the event.
Also, private establishments such as FRE Builders, Dumalneg Wood Furniture Makers Association, One.O.Five and Mart One/Expression Stationery expressed commitment to hire more this summer.
Last year, the province has 900 SPES beneficiaries who acquired ‘soft skills’ under the different departments and fields to expose students in actual field and office work.
Meanwhile, DOLE has announced that at least 40 students will work for 52 days at Mc Donald’s Laoag, San Nicolas and tiendaan stores under a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the DOLE and Golden Arches Development Corp., owner of Mc Donald’s.
“I commend the whole government of Ilocos Norte and all participating employers for pursuing the goal of the SPES which is to inspire the youth to finish their education and become more work-ready by helping them acquire skills, values and experience,” Ursua said.
“With the unfailing commitment of the provincial government to create and facilitate employment opportunities under its Task Force Trabaho, I am confident that Ilocos Norte is right on track on its goal of becoming the center of employment in the region,” she added.
Ursua also commended Marcos for pushing earlier for enabling SPES beneficiaries acquire ‘soft skills’, saying these are just as important as ‘technical skills’ in helping a jobseekers land a job.
“When everything else is equal, an applicant with exemplary ‘soft skills’ will stand out,” she said.
‘Soft skills’ are associated with a person’s cluster of personality traits, communication, social graces, personal habits, teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking, professionalism, leadership and others.
Established under Republic Act 9547, the SPES is a work appreciation and bridging program which assists in-school and out-of-school youth in their financial educational needs by employing them during summer and/or Christmas vacations. (PNA)