Meeting the challenges of labor migration : The role of a Philippine vocational training school in shaping social and economic outcomes of labor migration

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2013-07
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en
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This thesis is about strengthening the role of a vocational training school in the Philippines, in fostering the development outcomes of labor migration and mitigating its social costs. The school under study is AMG Skilled Hands Technological College (ASHTEC), a school which facilitates labor migration by co-providing training for construction workers who want to work abroad. This is done in cooperation with the construction company EEI Corporation (EEI). The school also offers other courses, such as Information and Communication Technology. Some graduates of those other courses have also left the country as Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), on their own initiative. ASHTEC is part of a development organization, and is set up for the underprivileged. It is characterized by a holistic approach towards its students. In order to transform students into responsible, Christian workers, a moral values program is given to all students. The staff members of ASHTEC are aware of negative impact migration can have on migrants’ lives, especially on the social level. Therefore the moral values program for EEI trainees addresses some topics related to migration. Nevertheless, there is no coherent vision on what needs to be addressed exactly. In order to investigate upon the role of ASHTEC, fieldwork has been done in the Philippines. Three research methods were used: participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and study of literature and documents. Semi-structured interviews were done with staff members of ASHTEC, in order to gain background information on the school and its role in facilitating migration. The stories of OFWs once trained at ASHTEC have been listened to in order to understand what their lives look like and to understand their decisions. Experts from migrant organizations have been consulted to get a clear view on the links between migration and development, and on the role of schools in addressing social costs and benefits of migration.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen