Giving future employees a better chance

Students at a public school join City Hall’s career orientation and training program./contributed PHOTOS / DMDP Official FB page

CEBU CITY’S PESO

Getting into the labor force is not an easy task.

For fresh graduates and first-time employees, this can become even more challenging as they may not have the necessary skills for entry into the labor market.

For years, the Cebu City Government has been assisting future employees to get them prepared amid concerns of a disconnect between academic training and actual preparedness for a real job.

Through the city’s Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP), future job seekers and students who will soon join the workforce are provided training, at an early stage, to help increase their chances of immediate employment when the time comes.

According to DMDP chief and Cebu City Public Employment Services Office (PESO) Manager, Fidel Magno, such is Cebu City’s key strategy in addressing issues of unemployment and underemployment.

“What we’re doing is actually career guidance. We go to schools and conduct career coaching. With the K to 12 program in basic education, we anticipate some of them to join the labor force as soon as they graduate high school,” said Magno.

The strategy has propelled Cebu City to success as the Best Public Employment Services Office (PESO) in the region under the Highly Urbanized Category in an award given by the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) last August 25.

Magno stressed the importance of empowering young adults who are expected to join the job market as he pointed out that the skills of labor experts and PESO officials should be able to give future workers a picture about the reality of employment.

“The training also includes helping them avoid illegal recruiters, and not falling into the schemes of con-artists and deceivers especially those who are engaged in human trafficking,” Magno explained.

“We’re the only local government in the country that has come up with this kind of model in addressing issues regarding labor,” he added.

Cebu City will represent Central Visayas at the DOLE national level competition this month, October.

“We are truly grateful for the recognition, and we owe our gratitude to the Cebu City Government, the council,” Magno said.

This was not the first time for Cebu City to receive such recognition.

According to Magno, the city government also received the same award for Central Visayas last year.

The 2017 PESO national award under the Highly Urbanized Category was ultimately given to Olongapo City, Zambales province.

Magno said that a lot still needed to be done to ensure that nearly every resident in the city can earn sustainable income for a good quality life.

The 60-year-old DMDP head who now has his eyes set on retirement, bared what he had in mind before ending his long career in civil service.

“Shortly before I retire, I want to help promote self-employment especially in the far-flung areas of the city. Because self-employment also narrows the number of underemployed and unemployed,” Magno said.

Recently, DMDP, with the help of the Rotary Club of Mandaue East, visited some Cebu City barangays and provided each with 10 sewing machines to help dressmakers earn.

“We want to focus on educating and training residents in the mountain barangays and remote areas of Cebu City, on how to start their own livelihood or self-employment,” said Magno.