SM Foundation (SMFI), in partnership with TESDA, DOLE, DSWD, SM Supermalls and SM Markets, expands its Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan: SM Apprenticeship Program with SM Home World and The SM Store.

Launched November last year, the social good program intends to increase the employability of Filipinos and address community issues such as poverty and unemployment through skills development – by providing core work skills and industry-based competencies that can facilitate employment transition to the formal sector.

Together with their new partners, the program is expanding its apprenticeship program for customer and warehousing services, targeting a total of 120 apprentices from Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Cabanatuan, and Olongapo.

The scholar participants, whom are recommended and endorsed by the DSWD and DOLE’s PESO, will undergo a 900H apprenticeship training based on a specialized training plan. Participants will also undergo TESDA Assessment for Customer Service and Warehousing NC2 which provides enough credentials to participants to land a job, making the un-hirable, hirable.

Aside from the training, the apprentices will also receive allowances equivalent to 75%-100% of the mandated minimum wage rate prevailing in their locality.

According to Cristie Angeles, SM Foundation’s AVP for Livelihood and Outreach programs, “Such opportunities for workplace training can ease the transition from the informal to the formal economy work for those coming from grassroot communities. Experiential learning, such as internship and apprenticeship programs, enhances the classroom-based knowledge through practical application. This dual approach is very effective, especially for skilled occupations, which require theoretical education and learning through doing.”

“The cornerstone of the project’s framework is a convergence model that focuses on capacity building and establishment of job referral mechanism to participating SM Affiliates which can spur local employment. At SMFI, we believe that reducing poverty in a sustainable way cannot be achieved by simply having high and sustained growth. There is also a need for agencies and organizations to work together and stimulate higher labor market performance to ensure that growth is inclusive and will create productive employment and decent jobs. And we can achieve this through enterprise-based training,” Angeles added.