As early as 2014, I have been pushing for an enhanced apprenticeship program in a fervent bid to promote skills acquisition and youth employment. I have re-filed this measure, Senate Bill No. 1083, or the proposed Apprenticeship Training Act in August last year.
Youth employment has been one of the major concerns of the government. There are no silver bullets in ensuring our youth today develop learning and life skills. This problem entails a joint approach from all sectors. At the national policy level, I intend to institute reforms in the national apprenticeship program to address the needs of the youth sector.
Apprenticeship programs have the unique capability of immersing our younger workers in real-life employment atmospheres, enabling them to learn technical skills, practical knowledge, and experience to make them employable and competitive.
But while we work on the passage of this measure, I call on the DTI, TESDA, and other concerned agencies to intensify and roll out training programs on re-skilling and upskilling of our workforce, especially those would-be workers to enable them to be equipped in emerging and new industries.
Hindi madaling mapunan ang mga kakulangan na dapat sana’y natutunan ng ating mga kabataan sa mga face-to-face classes. Kailangan pagtulungan ng gobyerno at ng private sector ang mga hamon na ito. We need to institute reforms not only in the educational system that came up amid the pandemic but also in human resource development strategy.