Some 860 students and out-of-school youth were hired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for its Government Internship Program (GIP) which will last from April 20 to May 20, 2015.

Out of this number, 60 interns are currently deployed at the DSWD Central Office while 50 are assigned to each of the 16 Field Offices nationwide.  The amount of P5.67 million has been allocated for this year’s implementation of the internship program.

The interns will receive P300 per day as stipend for 22 working days.

In 2014, a total of 485 youths were accommodated by the DSWD Central and Field Offices through the GIP Technical Working group that screened them through interview.

GIP applicants are selected based on the following categories:

• Applicants should be 18 to 24 years old;
• College level or high school graduate;
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) certificate holders;
• For out-of-school youth, they should not have stopped school for more than two years;
• Good health condition;
• Monthly income of the family shall not be more than the existing poverty threshold; and
• Youth who belongs to a household-beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

The GIP is one of the components of the Kabataan 2000 program of the government, which provides opportunity for a hands-on experience of working in various government agencies.

According to Sec. Soliman, the GIP does not merely provide financial aid or working experience in government offices, but a way of appreciating and honing the skills, potentials, talents, and contribution of the youth in nation-building.

Interns will be asked to perform actual office work such as to encode data, answer telephone calls, direct calls and take messages, compile or sort records of the office,  disseminate or explain basic information to clients or visitors, deliver messages and run errands.

Moreover, GIPs assigned in the Field Offices may  assist social workers in the conduct of Family Development Sessions (FDS),and  supplementary feeding,  among others.

“The GIP aims to empower and equip the youth by exposing them to various facets of government operations in preparation for their chosen future careers,” Sec. Soliman added.

The GIP is implemented during summer time when students are on vacation, thus, using their free time in a productive way.

It also introduces young people to public service, serves as a recruitment mechanism for potential government employees, and extends possible financial assistance for their enrollment in the next school year. ###