Don Bosco Technical Institute and Hyundai Motor collaborate for skills training

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati City, Philippines, has collaborated with Hyundai Motor Philippines, Inc. and the Department of Education Taguig City and Pateros for the development of Hyundai Accelerate, an educational program dedicated to providing disadvantaged youth with opportunities in the automotive industry, according to a recent ZigWheels article.

Don Bosco Technical Institute was established in 1954 and provides technical and vocational training. Graduates are certified to work as automobile mechanics, general electricians, fitter machinists, refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics, and industrial electronics workers.

The new Hyundai Accelerate program will be open to 40 students from Metro Manila. The program includes eight months of classroom and practical lessons and four months of on-the-job training at a Hyundai service center. Students will be evaluated through quarterly and midterm progress reports, which will also determine the possibility of their employment with Hyundai dealer partners.

“At Hyundai Motor, we have a strong commitment to give back to society. This is rooted from our brand vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ wherein we believe that mobility is more than going from one place to another, rather connecting people with quality time and enabling them to get more out of life, leading us to forming Hyundai Accelerate,” said Dongwook Lee, Hyundai Motor Philippines, Inc.’s president, in the article.

He added, “It is our grassroots scholarship program dedicated to providing Filipino senior high school graduates an opportunity for further studies. This project is a special one, as it not only cultivates teaching moments, but more importantly, uplifts the lives of our future mentees.”

Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth. 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.

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% 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 dropout rates doubling as children reach secondary school, access to education becomes a critical step in breaking the cycle of poverty.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Don Bosco Institute Makati

Salesian Missions – Philippines

UNICEF – Philippines

Zigwheels – Hyundai Motor PH Teams Up with Don Bosco Technical Institute and DepEd TAPAT for ‘Hyundai Accelerate’