PRIMARY STRUCTURES EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC.
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2020 to Present - Bouncing Back Stronger
- PSEFI SKILLS Implemented flexible remote working arrangements due to the disruptions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Employees were given the options to work from home or be based in various PGB sites while a portion of the Sacred Heart School was utilized as a quarantine facility. Operations continued and employees acquired digital skills to be more attuned to the requirements of the new normal. Towards the end of 2020, SKILLS resumed in-person TVET classes following the prescribed health and safety protocols.
- The partnership with Habitat for Humanity – Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, which began in 2019, was strengthened via the development of the SKILLS Learning Management System. Developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the project augmented remote learning of students and trainees and also built the capacity of teachers and trainers in developing digital content.
- The Medical Auxiliary Specialized Services (MASS) program was developed with health practitioners from two partner medical facilities, The Hospital at Maayo and San Lucas Medical Center. MASS is a six-month program designed to produce graduates with essential skills needed to assist nurses and doctors. To date, MASS has enrolled several batches, addressed the shortage of health workers, and was recognized as Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Project in Health by the League of Corporate Foundations in 2022.
- SKILLS Senior High School expanded its TVL offering by opening Home Economics – Caregiving course. SKILLS SHS now offers three options for students including Industrial Arts and Home Economics – Hospitality. The MASS program is also infused in the curriculum of the students taking up Caregiving.
- SKILLS became a recipient of a USAID Opportunity 2.0 work readiness for out-of-school youth grant. The first phase of the grant was implemented from 2021 to 2022 and some 80 youth completed the Work Ready Now curriculum of USAID Opportunity 2.0 and various TESDA-accredited construction courses. Upon grant completion, 97% of the youth were transitioned to employment, self-employment, and further education and training.
- SKILLS was one of the partners of the Skills for Prosperity (SfP) responsible for the implementation of three construction skills training. SfP is a program of the International Labour Organization funded by the United Kingdom government to enhance skills development and technical vocational education and training (TVET). In Cebu, SfP implementation was led by the Cebu Contractors Association (CCA) and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the participation of SKILLS yielded 70 completers in carpentry, masonry, and reinforcing steel works qualifications.
- SKILLS expanded its presence by opening a branch in the province of Bohol. Skills training for Bohol residents began in the last quarter of 2022. By 2023, SKILLS was accredited by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to run four construction skills qualifications: Masonry NC II, System Formworks Installation NC II, Tile Setting NC II, and Reinforcing Steel Works. This ushered local government financing for skills training for the youth and unemployed. The Provincial Governor of Bohol and TESDA Bohol Provincial Director formally inaugurated the training center in November 2023.
- MASS was recognized by TESDA as a No Training Regulation (NTR) Program. The MASS program was also recognized as Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Project in Health by the League of Corporate Foundations’ CSR Guild Awards.
- PSEFI SKILLS President and COO, Ms. Paulette D. Liu was elected Chair of TESDA’s Regional Technical Education Skills Development Council (RTESDC).
- PSEFI SKILLS piloted the Maritime Cadetship training program in partnership with a shipping company, Primary Trident Maritime Solutions, Inc. (PTMSI). 21 out of school youth from Bohol successfully completed the six-month cadetship program and they are now employed at PTMSI as maritime engine technicians. The second batch of maritime cadets are starting their training this 2024.
- SKILLS partnered with the Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC) for Masonry and System Formworks Installation training. Over 40 men and women coming from indigent households successfully completed the training and eventually secured employment.
- SKILLS worked with the Cebu Contractors Association (CCA) in the implementation of the SkillsUpNetPH program funded by the Asian Development Bank. 15 CCA member companies sent their workers to SKILLS to upgrade their skills in construction qualifications such as carpentry, masonry, plumbing, system formworks, and scaffold erection.
- SKILLS was accredited by TESDA to run the Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology. The program focuses on the delivery of theoretical and practical courses that are aligned with the partner Higher Education Institution’s Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Course Curriculum while TESDA construction courses sector are embedded in the curriculum design. The pathways of the graduates of the diploma program are: continue studies in Higher Education for the Baccalaureate Degree in Civil Engineering, directly find Employment, and be self-employed and provide services in the construction sector.
- DIMC secured a 10-year Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) accreditation as a maritime training institute (MTI). The MARINA accreditation ensures that DIMC complies with the national regulations and standards for maritime training and education. This means DIMC is committed to adhering to the safety rules, curriculum, and teaching methodology as required by MARINA. DIMC was also accredited by MARINA to run various international and domestic courses.
- The organization’s efforts on skills training and youth work readiness enabled SKILLS to be recognized as People Program of the Year Exemplar by the People Management Association of the Philippines.
- SKILLS was recognized by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2) as one of the country’s best practices in delivering relevant Techvoc education and training. The commissioners of EDCOM2 visited and engaged with SKILLS. Meanwhile, TESDA Secretary General Suharto Mangudadatu, also visited SKILLS.
- SKILLS reached more sites and engaged in communities in Bohol Province and Baybay, Merida, and Palompon, Leyte Province.
- SKILLS achieved a record-high number of 1,869 students and trainees in one year. These were contributed by its four programs: TVET, Maritime (DIMC), Senior High School, and Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology. Meanwhile, assessment and certification served 3,350 with a 95% certification rate.
- SKILLS opened its first tertiary program, Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology (CET). CET is a three-year program that incorporates selected 12 TESDA construction NC courses in the curriculum. CET is curated to meet the skills requirements of the construction industry. CET provides graduates with pathways that enable them to pursue higher education by obtaining a Baccalaureate Degree in Civil Engineering, seek direct employment, or become self-employed and offer services in the construction sector.
- SKILLS launched Industry Certification in the Construction Sector Program. The program is in partnership with the Cebu Contractors Association and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the support of USAID and TESDA. Industry Certification is a knowledge-based theoretical assessment and certification system designed by industry practitioners in collaboration with the government and academe to sustainably address workforce challenges. Individuals who possess relevant technical skills and corresponding TESDA national certificates can be assessed to obtain an Industry Certificate. Industry Certification addresses the skills requirements of companies, attracts youth and professionals to pursue skilled TVET careers, and elevates the dignity of skilled workers.
- PSEFI SKILLS’ arm in the implementation of maritime education and training, Dragon Interseas Maritime Corporation (DIMC), scaled up its operations producing 676 trainees. This was made possible with DIMC’s strict compliance to the regulations of the Maritime Industry Authority and maintenance of its ISO 9001 accreditation.
- SKILLS piloted Food and Beverage Services (FBS) – Quick Service Restaurant Operations in partnership with the Jollibee Group Foundation and the support of USAID YouthWorksPH program and TESDA. The six month course enhanced the current FBS NC II with the integration of inventory management module and 450-hour Supervised Industry Learning producing 20 graduates who can serve as senior crews in Jollibee Foods Corporation brands such as Jollibee, ChowKing, and Greenwich.
- Primary Builders and Skills Multipurpose Cooperative, the coop of PGB employees and ranks managed by SKILLS, acquired permits from the Cooperative Development Authority and Department of Labor and Employment to operate labor services. This milestone will help skilled workers acquire sustainable job contracts in companies the coop will engage with.
- The SKILLS Senior High School Program was recognized by the members of the League of Corporate Foundations as Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program in Education. The CSR Guild Award is another testament of the SKILLS’ commitment to fulfill the promise of the K-12 Basic Education Reform, which is to produce skilled, competent, and employable senior high school graduates.
- During the year, SKILLS also completed two more USAID Opportunity 2.0 contracts that provide work readiness and technical skills to out of school youth. During the final partners summit at Novotel in Quezon City, SKILLS emerged as winner of the Exemplary Grant Management award in a field of 60 local service providers that USAID Opportunity 2.0 has worked with since 2020. The award underscores SKILLS’ commitment to youth development and grant management excellence.