2,408 students in Pangasinan benefit from SPES

• Source:http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1941463043071/2-408-students-in-pangasinan-benefit-from-spes
• Saturday, May 14, 2016

By APRIL M. MONTES (VHS/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan with reports from DOLE)

DAGUPAN CITY, May 14 (PIA) – Some 2, 408 poor but deserving students in Pangasinan will benefit from this year’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

Regional Director Grace Ursua of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the Ilocos said that for the region, a corresponding budgetary allocation of P17.5 million has been earmarked for the labor agency’s 40 percent share in the student-workers’ salaries who started working last month.

The 60 percent will be shouldered by the program’s participating employers, namely, local government units, educational institutions and private companies.

Of the data, the three field offices of DOLE in Pangasinan have recorded significant number of beneficiaries as follows: Eastern Pangasinan, 771; Central Pangasinan, 674; and Western Pangasinan, 963.

“Through the SPES, we continue to expose beneficiaries to actual work to help them develop and improve both hard and soft skills, the right attitude and values while they earn for their school needs,” Ursua said.

Ultimately, the student-workers become more ready for future employment, she added.

An employment bridging program, the SPES helps students and out-of-school youth finish their education by employing them during summer and/or Christmas vacations.