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Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of the Caltex brand of fuels and lubricants, has a new demand-driven skills training program with a job placement component in its host community of San Pascual, Batangas. Called Caltex TOOLS (Training in Occupational Opportunities for Life Skills), the pioneer project of this program addresses the gap between supply and demand both here and abroad for highly-skilled scaffolders by providing free technical and values training to qualified disadvantaged youths.
TOOLS was borne out of the partnership between CPI, Hinch Tech and the American Chamber Foundation Philippines Inc. (ACF) that all saw the need for livelihood in the community and the mismatch between job needs from industrial employers versus available skills in the job market. With a glut of training on welding and automotive mechanics, the TOOLs project partners decided to focus on a livelihood training that offers higher pay for its beneficiaries.
Scaffolding installation is classified as a high-risk specialized occupation in other countries, hence, the high demand for certified workers in the global labor market. “As a highly specialized skill, scaffolding has great industry demand, making it a career with high return of investment and potential income.” said Mr. Barny Hinch, president of Hinch Tech
Hinch Tech, one of the leading technical schools in the country, boasts of trainers with international accreditations such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certification and the CompEx (Competency for Explosion Proof Materials) license. “Since we launched Hinch Tech in 2014, we had a total of 100 graduates to date of which 10% has acquired CompEx license. This is an impressive record in this highly specialized industry. Our successful deployment of highly-skilled technical manpower here and abroad is the result of our school’s world class training facility, complete with simulated work sites, training rooms and even accommodation for our out–of-town trainees,” added Hinch.
CPI country chairman Peter Morris added that since scaffolding is a high risk job, the training will highlight global standards in safety – a core value of Chevron. “We wanted to give more value to our graduates. Today, it is not enough to give basic training. There is a need to match the technical and vocational skills of the people with the demand of the clients and the global standard in safety which is not being met by the quality of the available manpower.”
As the training will be situated in an industry hub, Caltex TOOLS targets at least 100% of its graduates employed within six months following the completion of the course. San Pascual municipality, where Hinch Tech is located, and adjacent Batangas City are home to vibrant shipping, energy, and transport industries where TOOLS graduates can readily ply their trade.
More unique components of Caltex TOOLS are the job tracking and values training such as financial management and work ethics courses offered by ACF to ensure a more well-rounded development for the trainees. “There’s a scarcity of people with technical training. The advantage of Caltex TOOLS is that graduates get jobs straightaway, local or international. The support for Caltex TOOLS means that these students are able to graduate faster, earn more money and contribute to the society quicker”, added ACF president Edwin Feist.
The Caltex TOOLS program is one of the undertakings of Chevron’s Energy for Learning Initiative which supports projects that provide learning and skills to the disadvantaged.