11 May 2013
Skills training and assessment of Filipino welders get a big boost with the donation of P20 million worth of equipment to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority by the Middle East Industrial Training Institute (MEITI).
The donation, consisting of 40 packages, was sent from the United Arab Emirates to the TESDA Regional Training Center in Buhisan, Tibungco in Davao City.
Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, said the equipment are vital in enhancing the training in various welding courses, which are among the most in-demand among its trainees.
"Welding is among the courses that require state-of-the-art technology and equipment to produce graduates whose skills are at par with industry standard. The training equipment from MEITI will give our students the edge in this specialization and will make them most qualified for the job they will apply for after graduation," Villanueva said.
Not only the new trainees and trainers will be able to use the equipment, but other clientele of TESDA-Davao such as Filipino workers, particularly Mindanao-based workers for domestic and international deployment, and overseas Filipino workers needing upskilling in metals and engineering.
The donation was part of an agreement between TESDA and MEITI signed in October 2012 to upgrade the skills of Filipino welders. Under the agreement, MEITI will also share its curriculum and trainers, and assist in the job deployment of graduates.
The partnership will also provide the Filipino workers with opportunity to undergo assessment and certification using the standard of the American Welding Society (AWS), a requirement for a welder to work in the Middle East.
Villanueva said that with the equipment in place, the Regional Training Center in Davao will now be eligible to become the first AWS-accredited assessment center among the agency's technology institutes. The training center may also cater to students from the Philippines' neighboring countries.
The equipment sent to Davao included 20 welding machines (millers, wire feeder millers); 238 board plates; 4,993 bolts; 900 welding accessories (welding ovens, angle grinders, welding helmets, welding electrode holder, earth clamp); and 17 drums of paints and thinner.
MEITI is an established provider for training and certification in the field of non-destructive testing and welding industries and has an AWS accreditation in welding, fabrication and construction. It was founded in 2002 and based in Abu Dhabi.
Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, and Haytham Akkila, managing director of the Middle East Industrial Training Institute, seal the partnership of the two institutions to boost technical vocational education and training. MEITI recently donated P20 million worth of welding equipment for use of trainees in Davao City.
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