The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) have teamed up with Aboitiz Construction and D. M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) – two of the biggest construction companies in the country – to provide free technical and vocational training to over 5,000 youth across the Philippines through 2022.

The companies inked the agreements through YouthWorks PH, USAID and PBEd’s youth employability partnership that gives free skills training opportunities to out-of-school and unemployed youth. The partnerships will allow youth across the Philippines to get on-the-job training at the two construction companies and receive additional benefits such as free mentoring, allowance, and potential future employment.

The agreement with Aboitiz Construction will support up to 3,000 youth in Visayas and Mindanao. They will be trained in various trades by Asiapro Multi-purpose Cooperative, a social enterprise that provides full employment benefits to low-income and marginalized workers in the construction sector.

The partnership with DMCI will provide around 2,100 training positions in the Greater Manila Area for youth to learn masonry, steel works, carpentry, heavy equipment operation, and other trades at the D. M. Consunji Technical Training Center.

“With these two major partnerships, USAID hopes to energize the construction sector and open up economic opportunities to Filipino youth who are not in education, employment and training,” said USAID Philippines Acting Deputy Mission Director Jenna Diallo.

“We are confident that these training programs will make a positive impact on the lives of young people in the Philippines, and empower them to become self-reliant and productive citizens of the country.”

PBEd Executive Director and YouthWorks PH Chief of Party Love Basillote said the partnerships with Aboitiz Construction and DMCI speak to the crucial role of the private sector in promoting workforce development in the country, especially for young Filipinos in need of opportunities.

“Collaborating with the private sector is crucial in ensuring that there is an alignment between the skills we teach our youth and the jobs we open up for them in the future. We thank Aboitiz Construction and DMCI for working with us in this endeavor, and we hope more companies open their doors to our young people who are looking for opportunities to lead productive lives,” Basillote said.

YouthWorks PH invites jobless and out-of-school youth aged 18-30 to register for free construction training opportunities at pbed.ph/youthworksph-register.