28 April 2011
Women scholars of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) take center stage as they dominate this year’s batch of 322 graduates who underwent skills training and specialization in various fields.
The graduates, 90 percent of who are women, will march on stage on Thursday at 1 p.m. to get their diploma after completing the Competency-Based Training Program for the 3rd quarter of 2010 and the 1st quarter of 2011 at the TESDA Women’s Center (TWC) in Taguig City.
In a separate ceremony at 3 p.m., another batch of scholars will show off their skills in construction work when a multi-purpose gym inside the complex that they constructed, is inaugurated.
The scholars will receive their certificates of training for being TESDA specialists in masonry, carpentry, welding and construction painting.
The agency is implementing a training cum production strategy where the students are required to test their skills after the training through an output -- a material, a wall, or a building.
TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva will be keynote speaker in both events.
“Every graduation ceremony of our scholars brings pride because it serves as testament of TESDA’s best investments – education and new opportunities for our workers, especially our women workers,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva expressed hopes that the graduates will soon join the labor force when they land in jobs in the country or abroad.
“After their graduation, the next best opportunity for them is to be able to celebrate Labor Day as among those hired in reputable companies needing their specialization, just like thousands of TESDA graduates,” he said.
Of the 322 graduates, most took up training for Housekeeping (69), Food and Beverages (58), Welding (52), Dressmaking (34) and Pharmacy (33).
Other courses availed by the graduates include Automotive (18), Commercial Cooking (17), Food Processing (17), Household Services (15), Electronics (8) and Cellphone Repair (1).
Since 1998, TWC has produced 4,121 graduates in various trade areas with a 57 percent average employment rate. Most of them are certified in their respective fields.
The trainings not only empower women old and young alike to be self-reliant, but make them advocates of gender and development issues as well.
“Our women scholars have treaded fields never before imagined to be women’s world. Now we have female welders, automotive specialists and skilled electronic workers. They have taken the challenge offered by TESDA and hurdled it successfully,” Villanueva said.
The graduation rites, slated at the TESDA Auditorium, will carry the theme TESDA: Kaagapay ng pamilya at sambayanan tungo sa maunlad at pinagpalang kinabukasan.
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