National skills competition gets underway

June 20, 2016 
Following weeks of training, technical vocational (tech-voc) graduates and trainees are ready to unravel their skills as they compete at the Philippine National Skills Competition (PNSC).
 
The opening ceremony at the TESDA Complex in Taguig City kicked off on June 20.
 
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) organizes the competition as a platform for showcasing the skills of tech-voc graduates and trainees in various trade areas.
 
This year, a total of 43 teams (46 competitors and 43 coaches) qualified to join the skills contest, which will run from June 20 to 24, 2016.
 
TESDA Director General Irene Isaac said the gold winners in the competition will take part in the 11th ASEAN Skills Competition in Malaysia in October this year.
 
“The target for Team Pilipinas is to secure at least 12 gold medals in the different trade areas at the ASEAN Skills Competition,” she said.
 
Part of the strategy in the preparation for the international skills competition is a thorough search for the Philippine delegates who will represent that country tagged as Gold Camp 2 (GC2).
 
“This is a response to the clamor to bring back the glory days of the Philippines in the ASEAN Skills Competition arena,” she said.
 
“We need to give all the training opportunities to the competitors to make them at par, if not greater, than their counterpart tech-voc experts,” Isaac added.
 
The teams who will take part in the PNSC are the ones who got the highest scores in the Gold Camp 2.  The top two teams overshooting the minimum of 500 points in the International Calculation Standards (ICS) per skills area will proceed to the next level of training called old Camp 3 (C3).
  
The skills competition areas are: Welding; Graphic Design Technology; Mechatronics; Web Design; Industrial Automation; IT Network Cabling; Mechanical CAD; Electronics; ITS Solution for Business; Refrigeration and Air-conditioning; IT Network System Administration; and, Electrical Installations. 
 
A simple ceremony held on June 20 opened the PNSC, which was symbolized by the cutting of the Olympic chain by Isaac, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, DOLE-LCO Usec. Nicon F. Fameronag and Head of Taguig City Tourism Office, Zaida Ignacio.