19 May 2012
The Mobile Training Plus Park and Train Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) rolled through Barangay Tumana in Marikina City and awarded scholarship vouchers to deserving beneficiaries.
A total of 141persons will receive free training to be conducted in batches at the bus that was transformed into a mobile training center to reach out to communities in Metro Manila and in the provinces.
"We innovate to educate especially our disadvantaged youth through this mobile learning centers," Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General, said.
"In the coming months, we hope that this bus journeys through more communities bringing with it the promise of alternative technical vocational education," he added.
The mobile learning center earlier visited Quezon City and also purred through communities in Cebu offering free training to qualified students.
For the Marikina stopover the following training programs were identified: Computer Hardware Servicing, Motorcycle Servicing/Small Engine Servicing, Driving, Haircut leading to Hairdressing, Wellness Massage and Community Disaster Management Progream.
TESDA identified accredited training institutions as partners in carrying out the training.
The bus is equipped with multi-media equipment, computers, tools, training chairs and other supplies needed for training students on short courses.
On the side of the bus, collapsible tents will be set up to serve as practical work area and assessment venue. Graduates of the courses are required to undergo competency assessment and be certified as TESDA specialista.
For the Mobile Training Plus, TESDA prioritizes visits to sites that are remote and hard to reach by public services, regularly stricken by natural calamities, and areas with less fortunate beneficiaries who cannot afford transportation expenses.
Villanueva said the park and train program complements the classroom trainings given by TESDA through its partner institutions. He said it also showcases the strong public-private partnership between the agency and private donors, which provide the vehicles that were converted into mobile learning centers.
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