2019

This is an Entry to the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Unlad Noveleta Enrollment to Employment Program

Organization

LGU Noveleta

Best practice Focus Area(s)

Human Resource

Year Implemented

2017

Summary

Established in 2017, the Local Government of Noveleta’s vision of providing globally competitive human resources took flight through the “Enrollment to Employment” or E2E Program.To ensure that this vision is fulfilled, the LGU of Noveleta provides programs, projects and activities to fulfill the core needs of the population to address the problem of unemployment and adhering to the thrust of the LGU of “Walang Tamad sa Noveleta dahil sa Noveleta, Trabaho ang maghahanap sa’yo.”

The LGU through the Office of the MPDC, HRMO/PESO, and the Office of the Mayor focused more on the implementation of programs that will provide skills training to the people which will make them competitive and ready for employment.

Background and Problem

With an average of 6% unemployment rate in the workforce bracket of the population, and 10% falling under the poverty level, the LGU found it as a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Having a battle cry of “Goodbye Tambay,” the LGU provides development opportunities that will free the population from the chains of poverty and social degradation. The reduction of the unemployment rate will eventually lead to the diminution of the poverty level. 

With programs in place the LGU saw that there should be a way  to connect each activity in order to create a sustainable program that will realize the LGU’s  vision. Thus, the LGU initiated this E2E Program wherein we not only bring the job opportunities closer to the people but also prepare them to become eligible for those opportunities. This idea was formulated when the MSWDO was interviewing residents asking for Financial Assistance, finding out that one of the causes of poverty in the locality is the difficulty of several residents to find job vacancies that would fit their qualifications, most of them being underqualified.

Solution and Impact

The E2E Program is a set of interventions that will lead to development changes stemming from the problem of unemployment and poverty. This is a program created to develop sound and evidence-based program strategies that are clearly spelled out to provide sustainable solutions. Since one of the underlying causes of the problem is lack of skills and knowledge, the LGU created the enrollment part of the program. It has been providing Livelihood Skills and Development Programs such as TESDA-accredited Training on Sewing and Welding which has been existing already for 21 years now; the TESDA-accredited Computer Training Center providing basic to advanced modules has also been ongoing since 2011; and the Call Center Training which equips the graduates with sufficient skills to become competitive in the BPO industry. All these Programs falling under the enrollment part intend to prepare the people for the next step which is job employment.

The employment part, on the other hand, is the Regular Monthly Job Fair program through the HRMO/PESO. We have established a relationship with several agencies, companies, institutions, and other establishments that can provide job opportunities both here and abroad. And they regularly participate and coordinate with the LGU. In the same way, to further strengthen the cause of this program, the PESO office assists the prospective applicants by matching their credentials to job offers by accredited companies and agencies. Also, the graduates of the Sewing and Welding are immediately hired by partner companies in the nearby Export Processing Zone because the training provided to the graduates is aligned with the needs of these specific companies. The Call Center Training graduates as well are assisted and guided by the LGU focal persons directly to the BPO companies, who accredits the training, for immediate hiring.

Clearly, providing more opportunities and guiding them through employment will not only decrease the poverty level and unemployment rate but will generate income to families and help out in the stability of the economic cycle. One, for example, the graduates of the Free Call Center training program have provided almost 1,000 employments. Using the formula, 1,000 employed graduates x 20,000 salary per head = 20,000,000 pesos,  every month, 20,000,000 pesos is added to the economic cycle in Noveleta. Imagine this amount, or even 50% of it circulating in the local economy through the purchase of goods and services. And if the local economy will grow close to its full potential, then it will again have an impact on employment through the creation of more businesses which will then lead to the generation of job opportunities. This shows the correlation of employment to the economy, or in another way of looking at it, employment reacts quickly to the output in the economy. Similarly, economic growth must be sustainable as well, to have an impact on employment.

Milestones

  • The Regular Monthly Job Fair was able to serve around 2,000 applicants per year and was able to successfully assist in the Placement of around 36% of the applicants.
  • The Skills Livelihood and Training Programs (Sewing, Welding, Bread & Pastry, Food & beverages, etc) have catered to around 5,000 recipients since then, of whom most of them were able to either be employed in a company or establish their own businesses related to their training.
  • Out of the 699 Call Center Scholars, 578 of them were hired by the accredited BPO companies, while others were hired in other similar companies.
  • As a result, the LGU was able to decrease the number of unemployed in the municipality of Noveleta. From a 16% Unemployment and Poverty Rate, it has gone down to around 3.6%. Truly, the Enrollment to Employment Program has come a long way to further the delivery of activities and for the benefit of the people of Noveleta and in achieving the commitment to #GoodbyeTambay.