National Initiatives which Promote the Access to Education, Training and Lifelong Learning for People with Disabilities - Philippines

Source: Bureau of Local Employment

• Apprenticeship and Learnership for Persons with Disabilities
  • Qualification for apprenticeship
  • Apprenticeship agreement
  • Apprenticeship programs
  • Learnership agreement
• Tulong Alalay sa Taong May Kapansanan (TULAY)
  • Objective
  • Components
    • Skill Map
    • Training
    • Wage Employment
    • Self - employment
  • Strategies
  • Results

Apprenticeship and Learnership for Persons with Disabilities

Qualification for apprenticeship

To qualify as an apprentice or learner, the handicap of the disabled person should not be such as to effectively impede the performance of job operation in the particular occupation for which he shall be hired.

1. be at least fourteen (14) years of age;
2. possess vocational aptitude and capacity for apprenticeship; and
3. possess the ability to comprehend and follow oral and written instructions.

Every apprenticeship agreement shall include the following:

1. the full names and addresses of the contracting parties;
2. date of birth of the apprentice;
3. name of the trade, occupation or job in which the apprentice will be trained and the dates on which such training will begin and will approximately end;
4. the approximate number of hours of on-the-job training as well as of supplementary theoretical instructions which the apprentice shall undergo during his training;
5. a schedule of the work processes of the trade/occupation in which the apprentice shall be trained and the approximate time to be spent on the job in each process;
6. the graduated scale of wages to be paid the apprentice;
7. the probationary period of the apprentice during which either party may summarily terminate the agreement;
8. a commitment by the employer to make the apprentice a regular employee if the latter's services are retained upon completion of the apprenticeship period; and
9. a clause that if the employer is unable to fulfill his training obligation, he may transfer the agreement, with the consent of the apprentice, to any other employer who is willing to assume such obligation.

Apprenticeship programs

1. NMYC shall develop throughout the year apprenticeship programs for disabled persons.
2. DOLE shall encourage private companies to develop and implement apprenticeship programs for disabled persons.
3. Apprenticeship programs shall include placement assistance with accredited NGOs.

Any employer desiring to employ learners shall enter into a Learnership Agreement with them, which shall include:

1. The name and address of the learner;
2. The duration of the learnership period, which shall not exceed three (3) months;
3. The wages or salary rates of the learner which shall begin at not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the applicable minimum wage; and
4. A commitment by the employer to employ the learner, if he so desires, as a regular employee upon completion of the learnership. A learner who has been allowed or suffered to work during the first two (2) months shall be deemed a regular employee if training is terminated by the employer before the end of the stipulated period through no fault of the learner.

Learners employed in piece or incentive rate jobs during the training period shall be paid in full for the work done.

Tulong Alalay sa Taong May Kapansanan (TULAY)

Objective

To assist in the integration of persons with disability in the mainstream of society through training and employment.

Components

Skill Map

A national registry of PWDs shall be established and a map skills showing the distribution of PWDs by area, type of disability, age, sex, skills, educational attainment, work experience and other demographic characteristics shall be prepared. This will help define approriate strategies as well as specific assistance that could be extended to individuals or groups of PWDs.

Training

To enhance the employability of PWDs, skills training programs suited to their interests, potentials and circumstances shall be developed and conducted in selected goverment and private training institutions. The PWDs shall have the option to choose from any of the following training areas:

• industrial skills

• livelihood skills

• entrepreneurship skills

Wage Employment

PWDs whose qualifications are suited for wage employment shall be referred to private companies or goverment agencies where job vacancies are made available for them.

For this purpose, a skills pool of PWDs as well as list of prospective employers shall be maintaned for quick reference.

Self - employment

PWDs who are inclined towards self - employment shall be encouraged to set up their own self - employment projects either individually or in group. Technical as well as financial assistance shall be extended to them in coordination with goverment livelihood agencies and financing institutions and non-government organizations.

Strategies

1. Registration of persons with disabilities.

2. Inventory/Survey of companies, goverment and non - goverment agencies, local goverment units and funding institutions ( local and foreign ) and programs for PWDs.

3. Networking and close coordination with private companies, GOs, NGOs, LGUs and funding institutions particurlarly those with for PWDs.

4. Maintenance of a skills pool of persons with disabilities.

5. Establishment of cooperatives, production workshops and self - employment projects.

6. Active advocacy and information campaign to awaken public conscience to the need to create employment opportunities for PWDs.

7. Development of capability of program implementors for successful program implementation.

8. Close monitoring of enforcement laws pertaining to employment of persons with disabilities.

Results

The program placed 299 PWDs in jobs in the first five months of 2002 while facilitating the training and upgrading of 763 other handicapped persons.

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