YouthWorks PH trainees aid in construction of North-South Commuter Railway, gain employment after

One hundred three YouthWorks PH (YWPH) trainees have graduated from the program and are now geared to begin their work as certified carpentry and scaffolding professionals at a leading construction company.

After two weeks of intensive technical training at the CareerBuilder Skills Training and Assessment Center and a five-week work-based training at DATEM Inc., the trainees posted a 100 percent passing rate on their National Certificate II assessment.

In a graduation event held last March 9 in Meycauayan, Bulacan, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Education Director Thomas LeBlanc expressed his joy in honoring the newly-hired graduates and emphasized the significance of multisectoral collaboration.

“We at USAID believe in the potential of Filipino youth to lead this country to greater heights. This speaks of our private sector partners’ crucial role in supporting the youth to lead productive lives through skills training and employment,” LeBlanc said.

In 2021, YWPH partnered with Career Builder Skills Training and Assessment Center to provide training to at-risk youth in Pangasinan and other surrounding areas which will then be deployed to their partner industries such as DATEM Inc.—one of the largest construction companies in the country.

Joining the graduation were the local government units of Bulacan and Pangasinan and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which will be providing allowances for the young employees.

“We are thankful to Career Builder, DATEM Inc., and DSWD for creating innovative pathways for our youth to acquire new skills. I hope these kinds of partnerships will inspire more to heed the call of assisting more youth across the Philippines,” expressed YWPH Chief of Party Rhea Peñaflor.

Prior to their employment, the 103 trainees made a legacy contribution by working on the North-South Commuter Railway project–a national project expected to benefit over 200,000 commuters daily.