The Ilocos Norte government is strengthening its partnership with the state-run Mariano Marcos State University-College of Industrial Technology (MMSU-CIT) to provide free livelihood training for interested individuals in the province.

Elma Gabriel, head of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Office (MSMEO), on Tuesday said the provincial government has allocated funds for the implementation of the project this year.

“We are collaborating with the MMSU-CIT to improve the quality of life of the people through the provision of livelihood training,” she said, adding that training kits for the participants will be provided by the provincial government while the training venue and the facilitators will be the responsibility of the university.

To formalize the project, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved Monday Draft Provincial Resolution 2022-04-489, granting authority to Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc to sign a memorandum of agreement with MMSU president Shirley Agrupis for this purpose.

Currently, a four-day training on air-condition servicing and troubleshooting for split type units started on Tuesday, April 19 at the CIT Flexible Hub with 30 utility workers, some university faculty, and staff members to give them skills that they can use at home or to earn extra income from repair services.

Other interested individuals from outside the university may, likewise, participate in the training program for free by contacting Professor Fairie Ann Domingo, extension coordinator of the MMSU-CIT.

Agrupis said the MMSU is committed to providing various livelihood training to all interested individuals in this northern part of Luzon.

Other livelihood trainings such as food processing, sewing, cooking, and baking are also being offered to the public, particularly among returning residents who are starting anew in the province after being hard-hit by the global health crisis. (PNA)