August 22, 2022
In observance of the National Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) Day and as part of its 28th anniversary celebration, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on Aug. 25 will hold the annual World Café of Opportunities (WCO).
TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz said the WCO brings together industry partners and companies with tech-voc alumni to offer them work opportunities.
“We call on TVET graduates to participate in the WCO also and use this opportunity to seek pre-employment advising services in addition to determining wage or self-employment opportunities,” he said.
“We hope to lure not only our TVET graduates, but also, most importantly, entrepreneurs, companies/industries with job vacancies, and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their qualified beneficiaries,” he added.
Venues and schedules for the different WCO activities will be posted on the TESDA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TESDAOfficial/). Interested individuals may also visit the nearest TESDA office for more information.
In 2018 and 2019, the WCO was held in face-to-face settings. However, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCO did not push through. Further, in 2021, the first virtual job facilitation of World Café of Opportunities was conducted with the guidance and assistance of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and PESO (Public Employment Service Office).
For this year, regions have been permitted to do the WCO in their chosen modality whether face-to-face, blended/hybrid, or online to allow flexibility since the threat of the pandemic is still present.
DG Cruz said based on a Labor Market Information (LMI) Report, all 17 regions, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), shall focus on the construction sector plus one to two other sectors at the regional level based on their area-based LMI.
“Higher percentage of hired on the spot (HOTS) and higher skill-job matching are the ultimate goals of this activity. The WCO shall be the avenue where all the possible employment and training support mechanisms shall be made available including financing institution windows,” he said.
“But for those regions that will conduct the WCO per province, each may choose one additional sector that is in demand within the area,” DG Cruz added, as he emphasized that TESDA is pushing for a more area-based and demand-driven TVET.
DG Cruz also cited the cooperation of government agencies, industry associations, enterprises, and financial institutions to strengthen government projects and eventually increase the country’s employment rate.
“Addressing unemployment rate and skills-job mismatch needs a whole-of-nation approach. The government and the private sector should work closely to address these perennial problems,” he said.
It can be recalled that on February 7, 2018, then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10970 which declares Aug, 25 and every year thereafter the National Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) Day nationwide. (30)
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