According to the “2017 JobStreet.com Fresh Graduates Report,” three fields have overtaken information technology as the most generous employer for fresh graduates–law, healthcare, and journalism.
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
In line with the Philippine administration’s agenda of accelerating the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez has announced the nationwide schedule of the Kapatid Mentor ME for 2017.
The Kapatid Mentor ME Program aims to assist MSMEs scale up and sustain their businesses through weekly coaching and mentoring by business owners and practitioners on different functional areas of entrepreneurship. It is a joint program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship-Go Negosyo.
“With our strong desire to help the country’s MSMEs and provide jobs to Filipinos, DTI and PCE-Go Negosyo conceptualized the Kapatid Mentor ME Program to serve as the entrepreneurs’ guide to a globally competitive enterprise,” Lopez said.
The trade chief, as chair of the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings, continues to champion the MSME development thrust at the meeting with his fellow ASEAN economic leaders, bringing the national priority to the regional agenda.
The Kapatid Mentor ME sessions kicked off March 8, 2017 in Catbalogan, Samar and will run in 89 areas in 16 regions throughout the country until the end of the year.
The 11-week program will have weekly modules such as Marketing, Financial Management, Human Resource Management, and Operations Management, among others. On the 11th week, the mentee is required to present his or her business improvement plan, incorporating the learning from the lectures and mentoring sessions.
To qualify as a mentee, the entrepreneur should be a business owner or manager of an enterprise with an asset of P3 million and below, operating for at least one year.
“To help address poverty, we are consistently determined to produce more entrepreneurs, as well as generate more jobs for Filipinos,” Lopez said.
To get more information about the Kapatid Project and view the Kapatid Mentor ME Program Schedule for 2017, click here.
You may also visit the Negosyo Center nearest you for training programs.
Featured Photo from Dumaguete Info
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is leading the drive to help more women entrepreneurs in the region, including those in the Philippines, gain entry into the global marketplace.
Small business promotion authorities from APEC member economies are taking the next steps to ease bottlenecks hindering women-led exporters and their growth and job-creating potential in the Asia-Pacific, the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group said in a statement.
The group detailed plans to expand efforts to tackle gender bias in trade during recent meetings in Sydney, Australia. These include greater cross-border training and technical exchange to enable reforms that aim to level the playing field for women-owned and managed firms in APEC economies, and improve their access to international markets.
“The move could increase trade-driven growth and job creation across a range of businesses—from a successful hand-loomed fabric producer run and operated by women in Philippine villages, to an emerging technology company started by a Peruvian woman that helps disabled people to communicate via instant messaging, to women-managed suppliers of materials and parts in Viet Nam that support manufacturers in Australia, Japan and the United States,” said the statement released March 22.
“APEC economies are deepening cooperation to break down barriers to the development and competitiveness of women-led businesses,” explained Nguyen Hoa Cuong, chair of the working group.
“Our work to address inequalities facing women entrepreneurs and managers stands to boost trade and growth, particularly among small businesses that account for the majority of employment across the region,” noted Nguyen.
The focus is on lowering institutional and policy barriers to participation in trade by women-led businesses. Examples include outdated labor laws that fail to sufficiently protect women, a lack of childcare services, limited availability of credit, and inadequate or out-of-reach higher education and skills development opportunities.
To address these challenges, APEC is increasing public sector capacity to introduce gender-responsive trade promotion policies and programs, in coordination with the business community and civil society. Training and information-sharing sessions for trade promotion officials, to be held next month in Ha Noi, Vietnam, will take this multi-year, region-wide initiative forward.
“Women-led small and medium enterprises can better tap into international business and global supply chains when they are supported by government policy and practices that tackle gender specific constraints faced by female entrepreneurs,” explained Cynthia Balogh, director of Women Going Global, the chief trainer leading the team overseeing the project. “The incentives for job creation and growth in the region are potentially huge.”
This work is complemented by measures taking shape in APEC to widen access and use of e-commerce by women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises, helping them reach customers and business partners abroad.
Opening up financing avenues, branding, intellectual property protection, and management support are further areas of emphasis.
“Women in the Asia-Pacific are major drivers of small businesses with great exporting potential but may be constrained by unsupportive economic and social policies,” said Hoang Thi Thu Huyen, chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy.
“Reform is key to realizing more gender balanced trade that benefits everyone. It is also critical to transforming attitudes that remain the bigger obstacle to women’s economic empowerment,” she added. – Romelda C. Ascutia
Photo: Asian Development Bank
Featured Photo from Agriculture.com
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines’ “9th Executive Labor Updates: Symposium on the New DOLE Department Order on Contracting and Subcontracting” will take place on March 24, 2017.
In keeping with President Duterte’s campaign promise, the new DOLE policy (Department Order 174) on contracting and sub-contracting is out. What are its provisions that will strengthen the rights of workers on security of tenure? How will it prevent labor-only contracting and restrict job contracting? Will the new policy allow some measure of flexibility to deal with the realities and imperatives of business? These and many more questions will be answered during the symposium.
Venue of the trade event, which will run from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., is the SMX Convention Center, Function Room 4, Seashell Ln, Pasay City.
For more details, click here.
Featured Photo from Paolo Barcelon/CNN PH
They say two heads are always better than one; in traveling, dining out and maybe even truer in parenting. Parents always want to be a part of their children’s lives, to be there for them while they grow up. But to raise your kids demands more than just love and affection. You have to send them to school, buy what they need and give them the best support system you can offer. Imagine doing it all just by yourself, think of just how dreading it may be. This is why I have always looked up to single mothers.
I used to work as a customer service agent in a BPO company. Since our work would start when most people are off to their beds and end when most people are just having their first cup of coffee, it’s usually just easier to ask co-workers out to socialize. I remember attempting to ask Mickie, our boss, out for breakfast on a Saturday morning; our own way of celebrating the end of the week. Before I could even ask her, she was already out and on her way home. She usually goes home as soon as our shift ends. She says this is because of her two lovely kids that she supports and takes care of, Ich and Micah. We can only imagine how exhausting it was for her doing it all alone. Although this was the case we never heard her complain about the lack of sleep or even saw her lash out because of too much stress. I wondered how she could keep up with life when even I was having a hard time balancing my work, my family and friends.
During our breaks, I would notice how she would take her phone and take this little extra time to send messages to her kids. She says that this important to keep you in your children’s lives. Although it’s not hard for Mickie to see her kids because it’s just her and her kids at home, there are times when she has to extend a few hours in the office to finish work so even the smallest gestures such as leaving written notes for your kids would remind them that you care. Keeping them in the loop, like telling them what time you’ll go home or leave, would make them understand and adapt to the situation. Mickie believes that children are resilient, so making the extra effort of keeping them a part of your life too can make them understand.
It’s amazing how her kids grew up to be such strong and loving kids; this may be the greatest achievement any parent can be proud of. This isn’t something you accomplish overnight, though. She says the toughest challenge being a single parent is that you have to be everything and everywhere. Any amount of money can be earned, sleep can be recovered but the feeling of success seeing your kids grow up well is priceless. So she always tries to give the best of herself. Although it’s inevitable that regardless of how much effort and love you give, you will feel that there may be a gap in your kids’ heart and it’s heartbreaking to think that you cannot fill these gaps. While being a single parent, you get twice the hugs, the kisses, and the heartaches too. The stress that this can bring is unimaginable.
The challenges may be tough, but if your goal is to give the best life to your kids you always have to choose to stand up and be stronger. Mickie reminds herself every day that she is the only pillar her children can lean on, so don’t forget to always choose to be strong. This why she says it’s important to remember that you have to keep your sanity too. A simple “me time” at home, sleeping all day, traveling or going out with your friends are great ways to rest and recharge. It is only when you can keep yourself sane that you can be the best at what you do and it is only when you love yourself that you can offer a greater amount of love to your children.
Mickie and all the single working mothers out there deserve all the appreciation the world can offer. Juggling these three professions may be extremely hard, but as they always say sacrificing for the people you love that makes everything else easier.
Written by Love Gardose