Tesda relaunches jobs training project

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda)-provincial office relaunched its Training for Work Scholarship Project (TWSP) dubbed as "Sa Tesda, Gaganda ang Buhay Mo" last Tuesday at the Oriental Garden, Philtown Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City. Aside from the 255 programs under the TWSP, Catherine Galapon, Tesda provincial director of Misamis Oriental, announced the agency’s additional technical courses including the new heavy-equipment operators training. "Our modules we are using now are competency-based trainings, so virtually hands-on…," Galapon told reporters. The modules consist of 30 percent lecture and 70 percent hands-on. Galapon invited those who have acquired technical skills, even those who have not graduated from Tesda modules but acquired through experience in work, to take their Competency Assessment and Certification (CAC) so they can have their Tesda national certificate. This national certificate will aid them in applying for work abroad as it will certify their technical competency in their line of work. Galapon cited eight successfully employed in Canada who had undergone CAC program of Tesda. Among the TSWP programs they have relaunched were shielded metal art welding (SMAW), gas metal art welding (GMAW), slaughtering operation, heavy equipment operation, aircraft maintenance technician course, barista, pinoy hilot, spa therapy and the ladderized education program. Galapon reiterated that in the ladderized education program, Tesda has coordinated with the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), since their office is more concentrated in technical and vocation courses. Teresita Roa, supervising Tesda specialist, also gave updates on the scholarship programs of district representatives Rufus Rodriguez, Rolando Uy and Yevgeny "Bambi" Emano. For the 2008 school year, the over-all budget for the scholarship program is P3 million and so far, 524 scholars have benefited from said program. - Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro