22/10/2026
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DAVAO DEL NORTE โ For Elen โLenโ C. Ocon, the opportunity to enter the workforce through the Department of Labor and Employmentโs (DOLE) JobStart Philippines Program was only the beginning.
Years after completing her JobStart internship, Elen continues to work at Tagum Agricultural Development Company Incorporated (TADECO), where she has grown from a trainee into an experienced employee.
Her continuing journey comes at a time when DOLE, under Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino, continues to strengthen youth employment initiatives that equip young Filipinos with skills and pathways toward sustainable employment. Secretary Tolentino has emphasized the importance of preparing young people for future jobs and ensuring that employment programs translate into meaningful, longer-term opportunities.
Elenโs story offers a glimpse of what that longer-term impact can look like.
In 2024, DOLE Davao del Norte Field Office featured Elen as a JobStart success story after she completed the program from July to December 2023. At the time, she was a young jobseeker who struggled with limited work experience and low confidence during interviews.
Her visit to the local Public Employment Service Office (PESO) introduced her to JobStart, opening the door to life skills training, technical preparation, career coaching, and an internship.
She was eventually matched with TADECO, where she gained her first meaningful exposure to a professional workplace.
The rest of the story is one she continues to write.
From Trainee to Employee
Her dedication and performance during the internship led to her absorption by TADECO as a Benefits Associate, marking her transition from a JobStart trainee to an employee.
Today, years after her participation in the program, Elen remains with TADECO, continuing to handle responsibilities that directly support the companyโs workforce.
As a Benefits Associate, she works on tasks such as preparing payroll timesheets, processing overtime requests, tracing SSS records, assisting with maternity notifications, processing educational loan applications, and handling employee leave forms.
The work requires accuracy, confidentiality, communication, and a strong sense of responsibilityโqualities that Elen continues to develop through her experience on the job.
Looking back, she considers her JobStart experience an important foundation for her career. โThe life skills training was a turning point. I learned communication, professionalism, and time management. The technical training and internship gave me practical experience and prepared me for the demands of employment,โ she said.
A Journey That Continues
For Elen, the most meaningful impact of JobStart was not simply getting her first job. It was gaining the confidence to navigate the workplace and the experience to grow within it.
The program helped her overcome the uncertainty she once felt as a jobseeker and gave her an opportunity to discover her strengths in an actual work environment.
โThe experience shaped my mindset by boosting my confidence and helping me discover my strengths. It also gave me a clearer direction in my career,โ she shared.
A Full Circle
For Elen, the journey that began with JobStart continues to shape her career. But there is another layer to her story: the young jobseeker who once needed guidance in finding her footing in the world of work now contributes to supporting other workers through her role at TADECO.
For DOLE Davao del Norte Field Office Provincial Director Sonia Delfin, this makes Elenโs journey especially meaningful.
โIt is a full-circle moment for DOLE. We helped Elen find her footing when she was still a young jobseeker looking for an opportunity, and now she is part of the workforce helping support other workers. This is what makes our work meaningfulโnot only helping young people find employment, but seeing them grow, build their careers, and eventually become part of the workforce that we serve,โ Director Sonia said.
From a young woman uncertain about where her career would lead, Elen has now become a worker with years of experience behind her and a role that allows her to contribute to the welfare of fellow employees.
Her story shows that the impact of an employment program does not necessarily end when the training or internship is completed.
Sometimes, the first opportunity becomes a careerโand the young person who once needed a helping hand eventually becomes part of the workforce helping others.
