Green workforce in the making

Some 12,000 students and 750 instructors will be given free green skills training under the Project sustainABILITY of Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), a development organization with 20 years of experience in innovative capacity building.

Supported by JPMorgan Chase & Co., a leading financial services firm based and publicly listed in the United States, sustainABILITY started at the beginning of this year, with training roll-out to begin by September.

“Through our partnership with ASSIST and project sustainABILITY, we remain committed to not only developing industry relevant curricula that effectively bridges the job skills gap, but also to transition to a green economy and a more sustainable future that is inclusive and resilient to the climate crisis,” said Carlos Ma. G. Mendoza, J.P. Morgan Philippines senior country officer.

Project sustainABILITY will focus on critical sectors such as construction, automotive, metals, engineering, agriculture, fishery and forestry. ASSIST will provide comprehensive training for both students and instructors, emphasizing hands-on learning experiences.

The project also aims to empower students to secure green jobs while enabling Technical-Vocational Institutes’ (TVIs) instructors to independently deliver green skills training, guiding students toward promising employment opportunities.

Through the initiative, the beneficiaries will gain valuable career exposure and the instructors will enhance their teaching and career guidance abilities on green skills. There will also be 20 functional career guidance offices at TVIs that will become operational.

Project activities and strategies are already underway as ASSIST collaborates with national and local government agencies, various Philippine trade associations, and industry partners from different sectors to maximize reach and impact.

Details and partnership inquiries about Project sustainability can be coursed through Hana Superal of ASSIST at hana.superal@assistasia.org.

While acknowledged by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority the ASSIST’s green skill courses are not Tesda-certified and are external to the courses of the agency.

Partner TVIs can enroll their students — who come from low income background and have good academic performance — and their instructors to sustainABILITY. The trained instructors will then cascade the training to their students.

The training duration will span two years across partner TVIs in Metro Manila and Cebu. The curriculum involves 13 technical courses on green skills across foiur key sectors — construction, metals and engineering, automotive & land transport, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries — and one job-readiness course to prepare them for employment.

Project sustainABILITY is being undertaken in line with the Green Jobs Act (Republic Act 10771) of 2016, which promotes sustainable growth, create decent jobs and build resilience against climate change through incentives to businesses generating green jobs.