24 April 2013
Thousands of technical vocational training graduates are expected to enter the doors of opportunity provided by employers during the launch of separate jobs bridging events in Cebu and Negros Oriental.
The Hanapbuhay para sa mga TESDA Specialista: A Jobs Bridging Program aimed at providing a venue where the jobseekers and employers can meet and transact for the formers' possible employment. This event was part of pre-Labor Day activities organized by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Labor and Employment and the local government units in the area.
The program kicked off in Metro Manila last month, and was expanded into the provinces, debuting in Bohol on April 23, 2013.
"Now, it is Cebu and Negros Oriental that are on our radar being two provinces that have vibrant technical vocational education and training (TVET) history," Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, said.
"TESDA's services come in full package - from training, assessment and certification to linking our graduates to their prospective employers," Villanueva said.
The TESDA chief attended the opening of the jobs bridging held on April 24 at the LaConsolacion College in Negros Oriental and April 25 at the University of Cebu in Cebu City.
In Cebu, a total of 60 employers offering jobs in the country or abroad participated in the event.
Host to a number of big call center companies, among the key employment generators in Cebu are in the sectors of business process outsourcing, tourism, construction, consumer electronics and agri-fishery.
Villanueva said TESDA takes note of the in-demand jobs in the provinces and tries to fit the course offerings of technical vocational institutions so that graduates could immediately land in jobs, or start their own small business.
For 2012, TESDA has given a total of 16,356 scholarships to trainees in Cebu. As of April this year, there are already 5,008 slots awarded in the province.These include scholarships under the Cash for Training Project (C4TP) in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and those provided by the province's lawmakers using their Priority Development Assistance Fund.
In Negros Oriental, a total of 2,716 slots were awarded to TESDA scholars in 2012 while 1,951 slots have already been made available this year.
TVET providers in the province try to match the in-demand jobs by offering courses such as shielded metal arc welding, finishing course for call center agents, commercial cooking, bread and pastry production, and food and beverage services.
The province also boasts of exceeding targets in terms of assessment and certification of TESDA graduates. For 2012, a total of 3,919 graduates were assessed and 3,311 were certified which are higher than its targets of 2,695 assessed and 2,411 certified.
"Through our jobs bridging events, we are able to bring our graduates closer to job opportunities and shorten their job search period. At the end of the long lines in the jobs bridging venue is a ray of hope, " Villanueva said.
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