Rows of boys, in crisp button-down shirts, fill the halls. It’s Saturday yet everyone’s eager to get to the classroom.
Inside the room, the boys discussed their goals after graduation. “Let’s use our time for meaningful things,” said a boy named Aries.
“We also need self-esteem. Trust ourselves that we can accomplish our tasks,” Aries added.
Aries and his friends will be among the country’s first batch of graduates of the newly implemented K to 12 program. While doing their senior year of high school, they’re also taking technical vocational courses.
The young man has several plans for the future. And today, he’s making sure he reaches them.
Skills to succeed
Aries is part of the Skills to Succeed program, which equips the youth with employability skills. The program is initiated by technology giant, Accenture, in partnership with Save the Children.
In the Philippines, the program reaches thousands of young Filipinos across Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Metro Manila. From June 2015 to June 2016, it reached more than 3,900 youth ages 15 to 24.
Aries studies at the Sisters of Mary Boystown, a boarding school for some of the country’s most vulnerable children. This is among the several schools nationwide where Save the Children works.
The Skills to Succeed program conducts life skills, vocational and entrepreneurship training, preparing the youth for life after high school.
It also provides the youth more internship and job opportunities by linking them with partners in the private sector and the government.
Together with our supporters, we’re bringing the Filipino youth closer to their dreams. Thank you for sharing our mission.
Preparing for life
To help young Filipinos achieve their goals, Save the Children staff and Accenture volunteers also train students on the following areas:
- Time and stress management
- Building self-awareness, self-esteem, and empathy
- Communication skills and interpersonal relationships
- Goal-setting
- Resumé writing
- Job applications and interviews
- Values and personal branding
The two organizations have been partners since 2010.
In total, Accenture has given Save the Children a grant of over $13.5 million, supporting our life-saving and life-changing programs for children in the Philippines and worldwide.
In the Philippines alone, there are over 19.2 million Filipino youth ages 15 to 24. Despite the country’s economic strides, unemployment remains a problem. In fact, around 1.9 million Filipino youth under 30 years old are unemployed as of 2014, government statistics show.
Step by step, Save the Children and its partners like Accenture are coming up with ways to change this, starting with the youth.
Our future as a country, after all, largely depends on children. Why not invest on our future today?
Through Save the Children’s Corporate Partnerships, we’re able to develop and maintain various programs for children. We’ll be happy to have you on board!
You may also come up with fun and creative ways to raise funds and awareness for children. Feel free to create your own fundraising event.