VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — A partnership between SM Foundation and SM Retail, Inc. has produced 17 graduates who are now part of the SM Retail workforce.
They are the first graduates under the partnership’s Upskill-to-Work Scholarship Program. Most of them are Senior High School graduates who come from economically disadvantaged families with no means to purse four-year college degrees. Aside from Senior High School graduates, the program is also open to out-of-school youth and college undergraduates.
Under the program, they underwent a two-month training and on-the-job training program in SM Stores. They are now Sales Associates in SM Stores.
Jemome Paul G. Arino, a life coach, was tasked to handle personality development of the trainees. This involved physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. He said the physical aspect involved working on the visuals, poise, and how they communicate with the customers as they will be assisting on the selling floor. They are also taught that they have a safe space among themselves to encourage them to be able to share even unhappy moments so they will have the awareness to improve themselves. The training also encourages them to be God-centered—which is also the foundation of SM Foundation. “Dala-dala nila ang lahat ng aral para ma-fulfill nila ang dreams nila,” he said. It is also the goal of SM Foundation: to provide them with the opportunity to be productive members not only of their families but also of the country.
After online application to the Upskill-to-Work Program, applicants were interviewed one-on-one by the mentors and those who qualified move on to the training for them to acquire skills necessary for employment.
Sarah Michelle M. San Miguel of Taguig City finished Senior High School at the Arellano University Juan Sumulong Campus. Now a Sales Associate at SM, she hopes to have a permanent /regular position and to help her family.
The eldest among five siblings, Jommel Garcia of Brgy. Old Balara, Quezon City, another Senior High School graduate, was looking for employment when he saw the Upskill-for-Work program application on Facebook. He immediately applied so that he can help his parents after the training.
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