Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino
UNQUESTIONABLY, Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati is known to have produced excellent technicians through its school of Technical Vocational Education and Training. And what’s inspiring about the program is its ultimate goal to assist its students, as well as their families, rise from destitution. Considered as a home and school for the poor and out-of-school youth, scholars are molded to develop good Christian values and, more important, numerous technical skills. In turn, this edification would lead to a promising and decent employment.
For years, one of the institution’s prosperous curriculums is its 15-month vocational training in automotive technology, which aims to impart competencies needed in diagnosing, servicing, and repairing cars and other light vehicles. And with the country’s booming automotive industry, the demand for competitive mechanics continues to grow, making the program as the flagship, in terms of the numbers of enrollees. The program’s ongoing success is also attributed to the outstanding leadership by the school’s technical director, Fr. Jose Dindo S. Vitug, SDB. As an advocate to Don Bosco’s doctrine of “forming good Christians and upright citizens”, one of his main tasks is instructional leadership. The curriculum, including the skills training, is his main focus to ensure that their goal to produce quality technicians for deployment is met. “That is part of our visions for the students. They come from the less privileged and, of course, that is our intervention. You train them so they become upright citizens, productive citizens, and we know that education is an equalizer. We believe that is our expertise as a congregation being into education,” he said. Father Vitug also sees to it that their course standards are on a par with the industry. “Though we have people who manage the external relations, as director, I should be able to really meet with these particular individuals, companies, corporations, so that, there is alignment; so that in turn, they would support us. So, we really need that, the importance of the industry and academe,” he added.
Even after seven years being the director, Father Vitug continues to develop and learn how to make program autonomous, yet viable, for the industries to realize that what they’re trying to achieve will eventually benefit their partners. “Their investment would be worth every single centavo if they support Don Bosco. At the end of the day, it’s a win-win situation for all stakeholders,” he said. “Whenever you help a young and less fortunate candidate whether through scholarship, financial donation, training program for instructors, or equipment support, it also promotes a long-term benefit,” he added. In fact, he also believes that the whole country would even gain in the long run. “Whenever investor donates equipment, hundreds or even thousands of students would be able to utilize it. And if you talk about education that supports the scholarship, every candidate would have the chance of a lifetime to alleviate from poverty,” Vitug explained.
Indeed, Don Bosco Makati already made a mark in the industry. To date, the program already established partnerships with several automotive giants, importers and even dealerships. “Of course, there’s Porsche through the PTRCA [Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia] along with PGA Cars, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Al-Futtaim/Famco in Dubai, among others,” Vitug revealed. Recently, Ford Philippines also sealed their partnership with Don Bosco Makati by opening their technical center facility. “In fact, we have a lot, maybe almost all brands, but, of course, it varies in terms of finances, equipment support and levels of scholarship,” he added.
In order to ensure that the program delivers to the investor’s expectations, all enrollees go through a stringent selection process. “Because when I interview the enrollees, they have absolutely no idea about the program that they are entering into. What’s only clear to them is that they are poor who want to study regardless of what course, considering it’s their only chance to go to school,” Vitug revealed. After the selection process, successful candidates go through the foundational aspects and fundamentals, including basic competencies expected (from) a technician or mechanic.
Notably, the program currently holds an outstanding success rate due to its holistic approach. Father Vitug gladly shared that for the last six years, they’ve achieved about 98 percent employment rate out form more or less 800 students every year. “Based from our experience, if they come from the marginalized youth, and that this is their last straw, they are highly motivated,” he explained.
However, he also laments about the few dropouts not because of their inability to cope, but on their capacity to sustain daily grind. “The truth is, they still spend on commuting, and for their meals. Even after the 10-month period when they’ll start earning allowances from on-the-job trainings, they’re so poor that they cannot even sustain that they have to dropout until such time that their family is able,” he said. Don Bosco Makati consistently upholds their mission for the less fortunate by awarding them the utmost priority. To certain extent, the school even conducts home visits in order to establish the actual status of every candidate—promoting the true essence of scholarship.
Father Vitug is not only proud about the program’s high employment rate. They are dedicated to mold every graduate to harness beyond what they have learned, but also to exceed every employer’s expectation at work. “We want our alumni to develop the ideal “Bosconian” mentality that would eventually impress the companies,” he said. Ultimately, these are alumni with good moral values formed as good Christians and upright citizens who are being molded to be model employees.
Image credits: Randy S. Peregrino