10 April 2012
Big foreign businesses are linking up with the Technical Educations and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to give technical vocational training the needed shot in the arm amid the expected high demand for workers especially in the manufacturing sector.
In a recent meeting, TESDA and the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) have agreed to come up with concrete steps to move forward the enterprise-based training and prepare vocational graduates and those near-hires to land permanent jobs in various industries.
Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General, disclosed that the agency is also organizing a meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in the Philippines aimed at getting an overview on the manufacturing sector in the country in anticipation for increased demand for workers in this sector.
“We would like to get a list of industry associations and possible employers, and the qualifications they need so we can better suit our trading according to the demand,” Villanueva said.
TESDA and the foreign chambers met to discuss how to push forward the Arangkada Philippines 2010, an advocacy paper prepared by the JFC, which contains policy recommendations to the government focused on accelerating the growth of seven big industry winner sectors namely: agribusiness, information technology/business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics, mining, and tourism, medical travel and retirement.
Villanueva said TESDA will play a key role in keeping the prospects up for the fulfillment of the Arangkada initiatives by providing a steady supply of quality technical vocational graduates, who can immediately take on the jobs needed by industries.
“The Arangkada paper could be the policy roadmap to economic growth, and we should take advantage of this successful partnership between the government and the business community,” he said.
The JFC has signified interest in providing assistance in the development and enhancement of the curriculum for enterprise-based training (EBT) and in the training of TESDA trainers to make them more effective.
The agency will organize a technical working group to look into areas for development of its EBT that can be any of the following: apprenticeship program, on-the-job training program, and the dual training system.
The apprenticeship program is a training and employment program involving a contract between an apprentice and an employer on an approved apprenticeable occupation.
The on-the-job training program is a practical training for approved learnable occupations for a period not exceeding three months.
The dual training system is an instructional mode of delivery that takes place alternately in two venues: the school or training center and the company.
The Australia-New Zealand Chamber, meanwhile, pledged to provide TESDA with the copy of the qualifications framework of New Zealand that could serve as model for further enhancement of the Philippine Qualification Framework (PQF).
PQF defines the levels of qualifications in technical vocation education and training in the country.
The European Innovation, Technology and Science Center also offered to TESDA its 53 modules on Contact Center Servicing, which could be a guide for the agency’s training for its graduates in the business process outsourcing sector.
During the meeting, TESDA agreed to be a partner of the JFC’s campaign on Integrity Initiative for the youth. An activity called “I-Run for Integrity” will be held on May 6 to promote the campaign.
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