More than 1,000 public senior high school and special education students in Makati City await employment to become service crew of a popular fast-food chain in line with the city government’s SHS work immersion program under the administration of Mayor Abigail Binay.
Binay said Wednesday she met with McDonald’s Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Yang and discussed the company’s interest in expanding the existing tie-up between Makati and McDonald’s Philippines through the SHS work immersion program.
“The City of Makati welcomes this opportunity to enhance our partnership with McDonald’s Philippines through the hiring of additional student-trainees under our work immersion program. We are grateful for their readiness to help our students earn extra income while being trained and taught useful skills that would make them highly employable,” Binay said.
Based on the records of the city’s Education department, 83 SHS students in five public schools have undergone work immersion for McDonald’s Philippines from October 2017 to August 2019.
These schools include Fort Bonifacio SHS, Makati SHS, Nemesio I. Yabut SHS, Maximo Estrella SHS, and Pitogo SHS.
Binay urged the students who will qualify as beneficiaries of the project to do their best to learn and be of help to McDonald’s in serving its customers.
“I hope that our student-trainees will be eager to learn skills that will increase their competence and help them land gainful employment eventually,” she said.
The city chief executive also said Yang has vowed to prioritize the city’s SHS graduates in hiring personnel for their Makati stores to boost employment in the city.
“We are grateful for McDonald’s staunch support for the city’s efforts to promote employment for our constituents,” said Binay.
She acknowledged McDonald’s for being among the companies that have been regularly participating in the city’s biannual mega job fair every June and December.
Also present during the meeting were McDonald’s Philippines Senior Vice President for Human Capital Group Chona Torre, Yang’s wife, Cindy, and son Kevin.
Since 2017, the city government has been implementing a work immersion program for public SHS students with private companies. Students are deployed to different private offices for them to be exposed to a work environment that is related to their field.
The work immersion program is expected to boost the technical and social skills of students through actual application of the theories taught inside the classroom. It will also prepare them to meet and deliver the needs of employers after they have graduated.
From January to August 31, the city’s Public Employment Services Office (PESO) has referred a total of 137 students to different fast food companies, including 86 applicants to McDonald’s Philippines. Of this, 65 applicants were hired under the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
This year, McDonald’s Philippines targets to hire around 20,000 service crews and manager trainees.
Over 19,000 Filipinos were hired for the positions of service crew and manager trainee in different branches of McDonald’s Philippines nationwide last year, the company said.
