POLO-Rome in coordination with Protezione Civile Italia A.V.V.F. Roma, is conducting the LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING course for the OFWs which aims to promote skills upgrading and competency enhancement among the migrant workers and to provide opportunities for workers who are mostly in the household services sector, to apply for jobs in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, other business establishments. This is also to enable the OFWs to compete with other migrant workers such as those coming from Ukraine, Romania, Poland, etc. who also work as caregivers or in the health care services sector.
To complete the practicum phase of the course, OFW-students of Rome, Italy underwent the required practical lessons such as the CPR, patient transport, immobilization,heimliche maneuver and other pre-hospital care ambulance operations with Protezione Civile Italia resource persons and facilitators.
Protezione Civile A.V.V.F. Roma facilitators led by Dott. Rob-erto Iacobacci, with Dottsa. Donatella Pia Dambra, Fabio Fois, Rosaria Quaranta and Dindo Malanyaon coached the participants in said sessions. The participants hurdled two of the basic three courses, namely First-Aid Training and Anticendio/Firefighting Courses. The third course, Basic Nursing/Caregiving Skills is scheduled to start in September.
In Italy, the dominant profile of workers, including caregivers, is still composed of foreign workers or stranieri. Census data reveal that 71.6% of caregivers and domestic workers are immigrants and most of them come from Eastern Europe, namely:
ROMANIA (19,4%)
UCRAINA (10,4%)
FILIPPINE ( 9%)
POLONIA (7,7%)
MOLDAVIA (6,2%)
For a total of one million 500thousand workers who earn less than one thousand euros a month.
OFWs who aspire to earn more often do additional part-time work to augment income. With additional skills to equip them, such as those offered in the Life Support Training, OFWs have the opportunity to apply for work in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, other establishments, thus giving them other options aside from the household services sector. EU-Italia recognized certificates issued after graduation even becomes the first step for some professionals who are not able to practice their jobs as such e.g. nurses, dentists, etc. to find a niche in the health services sector.
Meantime, plans for organizing a pool of OFWs well-equipped with life support training skills are underway. Subject to completion of required Protezione Civile training courses, these OFWs , including future enrolees of the subsequent batches of Life Support Training Course with Protezione Civile shall have become the first Protezione Civile Italia all Filipinos group, the first of its kind among the migrant workers in Italy.
It is hoped that if more OFWs are well-equipped with life support training skills, there is greater opportunity for Filipinos to regain dominance over other migrant workers , not only in the household services sector but in the general health services sector as well.
Meantime, voluntary community service which is now a requirement for one to renew his/her permesso di soggiorno will be one of the areas where Protezione Civile Italia could be tapped to help the OFWs . Only those who have undergone the required training courses will be qualified. Other sectors may also be tapped for this requirement.
The new legge or law requiring points to be earned for community service before renewal of permesso di soggiorno will be one of the topics to be discussed in the forthcoming August Thursday Forum, a regular forum-dialogue for OFWs, leaders and community members held every last Thursday of the month.
Some Life Support Training students have already started to render voluntary community service after undergoing the said training.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Lagrisola, one of the graduates had his first stint as volunteer, together with Protezione Civile Italia resource person, Dindo Malanyaon and other Protezione staff during the X-Factor show screening event, a Sky-net sponsored Talent Show in Italy. (by: POLO-Rome)
