(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati City, has had an ongoing partnership with Porsche AG and PGA Cars in the Philippines since 2008. Porsche collaborates with Don Bosco Technical Institute in Manilla to help underprivileged young adults gain the skills they need to find employment within one of their services centers. The partnership collaborates to provide a program in auto mechanics that allows tops students from Don Bosco Technical Institute to enter into the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia. Currently, there are 145 participants in the program.

Students enrolled in the program complete a 10-month basic training course that includes both theoretical and practical training at the Don Bosco Technical Institute where Porsche has set-up and equipped a separate and dedicated training facility. During the program, students undergo advanced Berlitz-administered language lessons in English and Spanish as well as training in customer service.

Twice a year the Institute selects its top 35 students to advance to the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center’s comprehensive nine-month training program with Porsche specialists where students train on official Porsche vehicles using Porsche specialized tools. The program’s curriculum is continuously developing and adapting to the latest innovations and technology. The facility boasts state-of-the-art technical training equipment and advanced training and testing equipment complete with the latest specialized tools.

“This program and collaboration has been very successful,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal of the program is to assist poor youth in developing the skills and knowledge for lasting employment. We are helping youth fulfill their dreams while meeting Porsche’s need for constant access to a pool of qualified staff.”

Graduates of the program become certified Porsche Mechatronics and have employment opportunities awaiting them at several Porsche dealerships. Many graduates of the program are working in dealerships in the Middle East and Latin America but recently there has been an increasing demand from Porsche Centers in the South Pacific and other emerging markets. Jayson, a graduate of the program and now an engineer working at the Porsche Center in Dubai for the past 6 years, was able to buy a new home in Manila for his family who once could only afford to live in a small hut.

“To further help prepare students for the workforce, Salesian missionaries are offering students in this program resume writing assistance, interview skills training, life skills training and other social development services,” adds Fr. Hyde. “The goal is to help students break the cycle of poverty, gain stable employment and contribute back to their communities.”

More than one quarter of the population of the Philippines live 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 fisherman. In addition, poverty rates are higher for women than men.

Access to education is a critical component to overcoming poverty. In the Philippines, drop-out rates double as children reach secondary school and there are more than 11 million out-of-school youth, according to UNICEF. Almost a quarter of the country’s population, including a large percentage of children, live in poverty.

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.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Technical Institute

Porsche – Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia presents its 2nd class of graduates

Salesian Missions – Philippines

UNICEF – Philippines