07 July 2012
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will continue to push and make available foreign study grants that will enhance the managerial and technical competence of government employees.
Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General, announced that from January to May this year, the Philippines received a total of 176 program offers from various donor countries and agencies, out of which 69 applicants have been so far accepted.
The scholarship programs are offered to various government agencies and some non-governmental organizations to supplement specific competency requirements of employees. National agencies and local government units nominate their employees, who have demonstrated exceptional ability and experience related to the course available.
“We are grateful to the foreign funders who continue to pour in money for the scholarship of our government employees. They have remained committed and steadfast in the capacity development activities for government workers,” Villanueva said.
“Our government workers need to be exposed and oriented on the current trends and practices of their counterparts from other countries. Their participation affords them to observe and learn how development programs and projects are implemented and to appreciate their applicability to local situation,” he said.
Since May 2007, TESDA has taken the task of administering the short term, non-degree foreign scholarship and training grants. TESDA has created the Foreign Scholarship Training Program (FSTP) Unit to manage the program and handle the yearly activity.
As in last year, Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), offered the most number of scholarships and training programs (97), followed by Singapore (21), India/TEC (15), Thailand (14), Malaysia (14), India/TCSCP (7), Colombo Plan Secretariat/ Staff College (5), and Korea/KOICA, Indonesia, UN-SIAP with one each.
For the rest of the year, Villanueva said they are expecting 150 more programs to be offered, out of which 200 participants are expected to be accepted.
“Being the biggest employer in the country, it is only fitting that the government is able to provide the means to continuously develop the knowledge and skills of public servants, and TESDA is helping facilitate this through the foreign study grant program,” Villanueva said.
Some of the training programs are focused on strengthening the capabilities of uniformed personnel, health, public administration, governance and law, environmental management, social security, information and communications technology, and urban and regional development.
Training programs availed by TESDA focused on skills development, enhancing Technical Vocational Education and Training, and improvement of Quality Management Systems.
In 2011, a total of 286 programs were offered by the foreign donors, out of which 279 applicants were accepted.
Share this page
