The United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided PHP25 million worth of learning materials to support educational, skill-building, and employment programs for Filipino out-of-school youth.

USAID Philippines mission director Ryan Washburn led the handover ceremony during the USAID Opportunity 2.0 (O2) Youth and Partners Summit in Quezon City on Nov. 13, which gathered 500 youth development champions from across the Philippines.

The donation will benefit some 200,000 youths through programs like the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Alternative Learning System, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) technical-vocational training programs, and the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Youth Entrepreneurship Program.

“USAID is proud to empower out-of-school youth by helping them acquire the skills and training needed to find good jobs and begin building careers,” Washburn said.

“Our partnerships with DepEd, TESDA, DTI and other government partners grew out of our shared vision for creating a supportive learning environment for out-of-school youth across the Philippines,” he added.

The donation consists of various educational resources, such as life skills and work-readiness training modules, entrepreneurship guidebooks and teachers’ manuals.

It includes manuals for local governments on establishing local networks that address the needs of out-of-school youth, as well as guidebooks and handouts for colleges and universities that support out-of-school youth programs.

Since its inception in 2020, USAID’s O2 program has reached over 90,000 youth across the Philippines through DepEd, TESDA, higher education institutions, and other local service partners.

More than 82,000 young people have completed workforce development training, while more than 6,400 educators and administrators from DepEd and TESDA have learned innovative teaching strategies geared toward the learning needs of out-of-school youth.

Over 2,200 businesses likewise provided work-based learning, career guidance and coaching and employment opportunities for out-of-school youth. (PNA)