[As Prepared]

[Greetings]

It is a great pleasure to be with you for this inaugural recruitment and outreach event for YouthWorks Philippines.

It is exciting to be among so many energetic young people who are part of the approximately 50 million Filipinos under the age of 24. This dynamic cohort has the potential to become the country’s next leaders of economic growth, governance, and social development.

To unlock the potential of this demographic and maximize the benefits for the country, we need to promote youth’s active participation in the economy and society. This includes expanding their access to education as well as creating greater livelihood and employment opportunities for them.

No single institution or organization can do this alone. It takes all sectors of society – government, the private sector, educational institutions, and civil society – to craft effective solutions to make this vision a reality.

This is why we, the U.S. government, in partnership with the Philippine Business Education, or PBEd, launched YouthWorks Philippines in 2018.

Under this partnership, USAID and PBEd are embarking on a nationwide campaign that advocates for increased employment opportunities for youth, especially those who are not in school or working. The project will also equip nearly 20,000 young Filipinos with valuable life skills and work readiness training so that they are prepared for the workforce.

Together with our partners from the private sector, government, and academia, we will also offer at least 4,000 work-based training positions for qualified youth.

Through this approach, our partner schools and companies train the youth with marketable job skills while providing financial support during training. At the end of the training period, these youth will earn a skills certificate, and become a full-time employee in the company in which they trained.

This project is a true partnership that leverages local resources, capacity, and talent to develop local solutions that advance development and economic stability in the Philippines.

The U.S. government has committed more than 260 million pesos over five years for this effort. But what is impressive is that Filipino companies and institutions, led by PBEd, have invested more than 1.8 billion pesos in this effort to support Filipino youth.

I understand that our partner, Punlaan School, is offering 40 scholarships for courses in cookery and hospitality. Thank you to Punlaan School for your dedication to the next generation of Filipino leaders in the hospitality industry. Not only will they improve their skills under your instruction, but the generous scholarships are great investments in their futures.

Our activity today is just the first of many. We will also hold recruitment and outreach events in Palawan, Iloilo, Cebu, Bohol, General Santos, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

The commitment of local businesses, schools, and government partners around the country demonstrates the power of coming together to advance development goals and improve livelihoods.

For the youth here today, I would like to congratulate you for taking this step toward a more promising future. As a friend, partner, and ally, the United States remains committed to supporting you on your journey to becoming leaders of this country.

As YouthWorks Philippines continues its mission of training the future Philippine workforce, I would like to thank all of our partners from the government, academia, and industry, especially PBEd. The U.S. government is honored to work with you, investing in Filipino youth for a more prosperous Philippines.

Maraming salamat at mabuhay!