The mission of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) is to build the future through education. One of its first projects since its founding more than 30 years ago was the establishment of a Technical-Vocational training school called the GBF Technical Training Center (TTC). The school’s vision was to sharpen technical skills in food manufacturing to support the industry’s growth, which in turn will feed into the country’s economic growth. According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, the manufacturing industry remains to be in the top 3 contributors to the country’s GDP while food manufacturing contributed around P1.8 trillion pesos in gross value added in 2023 alone.
To support continuous growth and expansion in the industry, the Gokongwei Group is investing not just in the latest manufacturing technologies but also in the people who will run them. In 2014, GBF in partnership with Universal Robina Corporation (URC), launched a program called Iskolar ni Juan, which provides free training on mechatronics with an opportunity to be employed in a URC production facility. High school graduates are recruited into the program to train at the GBF TTC in Laguna where they are also given free board and lodging. The facility has dorms, a cafeteria and classrooms fitted with didactic lab equipment to simulate actual plant production set-up.
The GBF team travels to schools in CALABARZON, even as far as Bataan and Quezon province, to look for senior high school graduates that are interested in the program. If accepted, they will also be provided with free transportation from their residence to TTC. Once a batch of 22-25 students are completed, they begin their 7-month intensive training on mechatronics and instrumentation. After which, they are deployed to a URC production facility for 5 months of OJT where they get to apply their learnings immediately. The 1-year program of combined in-classroom learning and on-the-job training accords them an NCII Certification from TESDA.
“We make sure that the students are trained not only in technical skills but in life skills as well that they will need to succeed. They are given leadership and job-readiness workshops to help them become employable. Throughout the ten years of the program, there have been over 500 graduates who have been deployed to URC plants nationwide. URC is our key partner in this program because they have funded and absorbed the students from the beginning. To scale, we want to get more partners like URC who can commit to our promise of education to employment”, says Raymond Ganotice, the School Director of GBF Technical Training Center.
Out of the 522 graduates to date, more than 60% are still working with URC. Some have moved on to pursue college degrees or work for manufacturing companies here and abroad. “Once the scholars start their jobs, we can see that they are very dedicated and driven to excel, maybe as a way of showing gratitude for the opportunity given to them. Their jobs allow them to help their families and even pay for the education of their younger siblings. We really see the impact that this program can bring to the individual, the family and the community that they will serve”, says Reena Tecson, Human Resources Director, URC.
GBF hopes to double its current scholar intake in the next 3 years to fully maximize the potential of the program and the technical training center in producing tech-skilled and workforce-ready graduates. It hopes to build more partnerships that will support the recruitment, training and employment of underprivileged youth through Iskolar ni Juan.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Iskolar ni Juan, GBF TTC hosted a commemorative event that was attended by 22 LGU representatives, TESDA, DSWD and other CSO and private company partners. Special guests included Ms. Marcia Gokongwei, GBF Trustee and Managing Director of URC; Mr. Leonardo dela Cruz, representative of Mayor Roseller Rizal of Calamba, Laguna; Mayor Marcelo Gayeta of Sariaya, Quezon; Mayor Cristeta Reyes of Malvar, Batangas; Mayor Janet Ilagan of Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas; and Vice Mayor Gina Gonzales of Burdeos Quezon. After the short program and testimonies of partners from TESDA, URC and PESO-Caloocan, the guests were given a short tour of the facility by the INJ scholars themselves.
