PENVER AND ASSOCIATES

Philippines

Saint Paul School of Business and Law, Inc

EASTERN VISAYAS REGIONAL YOUTH EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING DEVELOPMENT PLAN

(EV RYEET DP)

Experience and Discovery

Labour Force (LF) is the backbone of the economy. Youth employment is crucial to a nation’s development justas how LF plays a vital role in the development of the nation and in the upliftment of the economic well-beingof the people. However, the region’s young workers are increasingly struggling to find a decent job.

Eastern Visayas (EV) Youth LF Participation is currently estimated at 686, 507 out of the total 1, 865, 000with an approximately 40, 491 young workers that enter the Labour Market, annually.

Current unemployment is placed at an average rate of 5.1% - a translation to 2, 065 annually new unemployedyouths. 69-70% of the annual 40, 491 young labour market entrants come from the rural areas of the region;while 46-47% of those entrants are High School (UG & G)*, 43-44% for the College (UG & G), 9-10% for theElementary (UG & G) and 1-2% coming from No Grade Completed at all; and 60-65% of those entrants arefemale youths.

It is then impossible not to see peers and/or colleagues being affected by this reality. In fact, most opt to workoverseas if possible – for reasons such as lack of opportunities, political instability, economic slowdown,health risks as well as personal preferences, explorations and ambitions for improved life. Ages 20-24 yearold currently contribute the greatest share of the regional Overseas Filipino workers departure which usuallyare destined to the Middle East and South Asia.

While Youths, themselves, are directly responsible for this employment reality, the social and the overalleconomic environments largely affect in facilitating and providing real-time knowledge, skills, adequateemployment opportunities and productive activities.

Hence, it is evident that Social Institutions and Support Systems such as the Family, the School, theGovernment, NGOs or Pos and the other Significant Private Entities’ substandard values formations,educations, trainings; and non-economically and non-socially responsive Activities, Projects and Programsare pushing more poor, young workers into informal sector jobs, often at low pay and miserable workingconditions rather than for an inclusive education, employment and training development which encouragestransition from low-to middle-then to high-income status.

On this regards, it is evidently held by the team that Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are largely part ofthe problem of Youth Unemployment as a consistent contributory factor due to their continuinglyautocratic, strict and pre-ordained knowledge approach of modern traditional educational system which ismore concerned with the delivery of knowledge, not enough with understanding youths’ experiences topurposefully engage them into learning and give them a focused reflection that increases knowledge,develop life skills, clarify and strengthen values; and develop human capacity to contribute back to theirrespective communities.

Thus, there become a problematic Labour Market Supply and Demand situation by mismatching based onvalues, core competencies, educations and trainings that are usually required.

However, this plight in the youth sector is further allowed to persist by the presence of traditional and/or non-

responsive social systems that continuously sets certain frameworks and boundaries to define the extent

of greater possibilities that the current social and economic situations can actually generate and afford

more than the prescribed.

Policymakers and the government itself, has its own confirmation biases also that relatively allowed youth

unemployment problem to exist knowing the available remedies, networks, resources and powers it

inherently have are not strategically utilized to the best interest and welfare of the greater public

especially the youths. Instead, it obvious that there is undirected purpose and non-commitment to more

innovative and sustainable solutions as they tend to resort to “band aid” solutions that literally defeat its

purpose on the long-term span; this could be further traced to the roots of traditional and corrupted

political system that engulfs the region.

Nonetheless, there is also a point to exist as a case that non-state actors are likewise contributory factors to

Youth Unemployment. Hence, it is undeniable how these actors affect the daily social and economic

exchanges within the region; while most of their actions are not really responsive to the roots of the

pressing issues confronting young people and its waiting labour market – noting further that there is

strong consistency and sustainability to challenge the region’s status quo.

The Innovative and Sustainable Solution

Youth Unemployment

Quality Solutions’ Education

Youth

(the Self)

Community

(Government, Significant Social Support System, Non-State Actors the Labour

Market itself)

Higher Educational

Institutions & Training or Learning Centres

(HEIs, TLCs, etc)

Solution Matrix

Youth Unemployment Quality Solutions’ Education

We, at Penver and Associates, assert that in order to solve the region’s pressing unemployment

issue confronting the youths, a quality education on Youth Unemployment itself should be given

ample time, attention and commitment as an advocacy to challenge status quo and sustain the

changes it envision.

It is then termed Youth Unemployment Quality Solutions’ Education though the overall project is

referred to as Eastern Visayas Regional Youth Employment, Education and Training Development

Plan as our Team focuses and underpins the necessity of strategic and collaborative education

of the Youth sector and the relevant sectors attached – on the reality of Youth Unemployment –

giving greater significance on tracing associated social and economic risks and costs.

Thus, a comprehensive and proper education of the Youth and the relevant sectors on Youth

Unemployment, itself, will natural encourage the propagations of continuously innovative and

sustainable quality solutions that practically respond and answers the challenge of this kind of

unemployment.

Key Area 1: Higher Educational Institutions & Training/Learning Centers

Penver & Associates recognizes that the established Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) andTraining/Learning Centers (TLCs) around Eastern Visayas are indeed a Key Area of Concern that has to beseriously and vitally taken into account of coming up innovative and sustainable solutions to address YouthUnemployment, in general.

It is well taken and asserted by the team that HEIs and TLCs are really part of the problem on YouthUnemployment. Thus, it is logical to claim that they really will also have great inputs and/or guidance in theformulation of a new, fresh and creative comprehensive solution and equally big roles and/or influences inits subsequent executions and applications.

Though HEIs and TLCs are part of the greater social systems and the community, a need of viewing themseparately is a must. Hence, it is generally accepted in principles that these HEIs and TLCs are communitiesof their own rights, academic knowledge and secured worlds.

Thus, we will tap and engage this Key Area in challenging the status quo of Youth Unemployment in the region byencouraging in itself, an internal innovative changes – such as through a multi-faced and well coordinatedCurriculum Mapping and Dialogues and so that at later times, they will produce globally competentindividuals who matches the Labour Market Demands as purported by responsive Educational, Training andSkills background; decreasing then the potential number of graduates to be unemployed.

Key Area 2: Youth (the Self)

Penver & Associates recognizes the complimentary and equal accountability and responsibility of the Youths,

themselves in formulating innovative and sustainable solutions to address Youth Unemployment, in general.

Hence, the Team asserts at this point that the best way of creating the best and responsive solution to a problem is

when the primarily and directly involved and affected people are strategically educated and integrated into the

solution as well as to its subsequent executions and/or applications to confront the issue.

We will then tap and engage the Youths in confronting its own issue by providing them the necessary awareness and

knowledge to open them to the realities of the Labour Market.

This will be furthered by the creative, career-based and entrepreneurial thinking explorations – more of life coaching to

build personal power and intelligence that will make the youth realize that their Futures are just waiting for their

acceptance; that it is within their visible vision and controls as a result of their current actions.

The goal here is to encourage young people’s mindset renewal across the region though a moderately gradual peer and

life educations but consistent in manners and efforts in order to give them the spirit of individual empowerment,

goal setting and strategic career planning.

Key Area 3: Community

Penver & Associates also recognizes the complimentary and equal influence and responsibility of theCommunity, in formulating innovative and sustainable solutions to address Youth Unemployment, in general.

Likewise, the Team asserts at this point the undeniable influence and contribution of the Overall Communitywith greatest respect to the Government resources and powers to really come up the best and responsivesolution to Youth Unemployment as well as to its subsequent executions and/or applications.

We will then tap and engage the Community in confronting Youth Unemployment by strategically networking andcoordinating them to open and facilitate to the realities of the Labour Market.

The goal here is to encourage the Community as consolidated diverse sectors that significantly affect YouthUnemployment especially the Local Government and known NGOs or Pos and/or Non-State Actors acrossthe region though opening them to the realities of what even better they can do to help mitigate YouthUnemployment as well as the great futures that socially and economically unutilized youths have to offer tothe national growth and better living standards. Thus, motivating new perspectives and investments thatwill naturally pave ways and open doors for Youth Employment in Eastern Visayas.

Planned Results and Outcomes

Penver & Associates as a Team recognizes and accepts that this Project will not only take hours to execute

and apply.

This will rather be a matter of consistent advocacy and commitment aimed at our peers, the Youths. And will

continue while Youth Unemployment is not really minimized through well education, networking and

coordination of those identified Key Areas of Concern - if not zeroed-out in the Eastern Visayas.

This Project is estimated to reach at least 75% of the unemployed young people in the region by educating

them on this issue and a gradual increase in percentage turnover or scope of at least 2% lead gap from

the previous improvement is expected over time.