OUT-of-school and other disadvantaged youths and informal sector workers like tricycle drivers and ambulant vendors may soon avail of free mentoring through DOLE’s Kabataan ITO (Youth-Information Technology Opportunities).
DOLE is for Department of Labor and Employment, preserntly headed by Ponciano Ligutom as regional director.
Last Nov. 5, 2009, Ligutom’s office partnered with the Eastern Mindanao College of Technology (EMCOTECH) for the implementation of the Kabataan ITO project.
Ligutom signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Avelino Lozada, EMCOTECH president, for the implementation of the said special project in support to the National Youth Service Program (NYSP).
The NYSP, complemented with Executive Order No. 788, is a program launched by the national government to underscore the importance of the youth in community action and promote their role in national service.
EO 788 tackles the need to involve the youth 18 to 24 years old in the national service program through the National Service Corps and Youth Conservation Corps.
Ligutom explained that through the Kabataan ITO project, learning and earning opportunities for IT-literate but unemployed youths will be tapped and mobilized to improve IT literacy among OSYs, other disadvantaged sectors, their dependents and workers through free mentoring sessions.
DOLE’s regional office has allocated P88,000 as stipend to the 20 youth volunteers who were selected to teach 160 learners in basic IT skills consisting of different lessons such as familiarizing the computer hardware, Word Processing Application Using MS Word and using the internet.
The learners, according to Ligutom, will soon be able to design, develop, support or manage computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.
The DOLE official also praised the school administration of EMCOTECH for being an active partner of the labor department by committing to provide a space for K-ITO Corner complete with computers and internet connection.
DOLE provincial director Virginia Bonbon, PESO-9 federation president Engr. Joseph Isaias Quipot VI and PESO Manager Naomi Limbaga were present during the MOA signing.
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