CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--To hone the tech competence of Oro youths and prepare them for jobs of the future, the City Government of Cagayan de Oro partnered with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) for the JobsNext project.

The goal of the project is to give youths skill-building programs that are industry-relevant, demand-driven, and right for them. This will help them get jobs and be ready for jobs of the future.

"We share PBEd's belief that it is important to ensure that the youth will thrive in the future. We know that Jobs Next is a good opportunity for the city and, most importantly, for our youth," city mayor Rolando Uy said during the project's launch.

Uy said his administration strives to give Kagay-anon youths a resilient, progressive, and inclusive future. As such, he is thankful that PBEd is here to partner with them.

One of the seven pilot cities for the JobsNext project, run by PBEd and funded by the Citi Foundation, is Cagayan de Oro.

"Thank you, PBEd and Citi Foundation, for allowing us to offer this opportunity to our youth. Thank you for working with us to empower young minds to ensure a promising future [for them]," the mayor further said.

According to Uy, JobsNext will provide training programs for the youth for jobs related to information technology, data analytics, and web services, among others.

"It doesn't matter if they are in or out of school, employed or unemployed. All youth 18-25 years old will benefit from JobsNext and have equal opportunities to learn new skills and competencies. Mao ni akong tinguha sa mga kabatan-onan [this is my wish for the youth]," he added.

Uy said they want to become champions for the progress of the youth sector, and he is happy to bring more opportunities for them, underscoring that progressive youths will not only be helping themselves but also the economic improvement of the city. (APB/PIA-10)