(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have once again partnered with Schneider Electric to bring a new Green Electrician’s Laboratory project to Don Bosco Technical-Vocational Education and Training Center in Mandaluyong City, according to a recent article in Gadget Pilipinas. Schneider Electric is a European multinational corporation that specializes in electricity distribution, automation management and the production of installation components for energy management.

Collaboration between Salesian programs and Schneider Electric was formed 16 years ago. This new partnership in the Philippines was created to teach unskilled underprivileged youth skills in the electrical profession. The quality technical training involves providing high-end didactic tools and equipment as well as an upgraded 14-month curriculum. A minimum of 30 students each year will be taught and given on-the-job training on electrical installation and maintenance.

According to the article, in line with Schneider Electric’s push for sustainable energy management, part of the curriculum will also involve coursework and training on house and building wiring, fundamentals of electrical safety, troubleshooting and monitoring of electrical installation in both residential and commercial buildings, basics of residual solar energy installations, running a small business, and life skills such as spoken and written English, computer basics, soft skills and entrepreneurship. Upon completing the training, students will be given a national certification 2 qualification for electrical installation and maintenance from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

“We pursued this partnership with Don Bosco Technical College because it was an opportunity for us to give back to the community, and what better way to do it than by providing educational opportunities to underprivileged youth,” said Claude Mazallon, country head of Schneider Electric Philippines in the Gadget Pilipinas article. “Through the Green Electrician’s Laboratory, we aim to educate the children of today and instill in them the value of green and sustainable energy management and its impact on the environment.”

Through the Schneider Electrical Foundation, the charity arm of Schneider Electric, more than 10,000 students have received electrician training in Salesian programs in India, Latin America and Europe since 2009. In addition to providing education, Salesian training programs help students connect to internships that allow them to apply lessons learned in the classroom to real-life work environments.

More than one quarter of the population of the Philippines lives in poverty, according to UNICEF. Poverty is most severe and widespread in rural areas where 80 percent of the population—close to 88 million people—make their home. The poorest Filipinos are indigenous populations, small-scale farmers who cultivate land received through agrarian reform, landless workers and fishermen. In addition, poverty rates are higher for women than men.

Illiteracy and high levels of unemployment contribute to the elevated poverty rate. With more than 11 million out-of-school youth in the country and drop-out rates doubling as children reach secondary school, access to education becomes a critical step in breaking the cycle of poverty.Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities. The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty and retain long-term employment.

 

###

Sources:

PHOTO courtesy of Don Bosco College, Philippines

Gadget Pilipinas – Schneider Electric Partners with Don Bosco Technical College to Give Training for the Underprivileged Youth!

UNICEF – Philippines

Don Bosco Mandaluyong