Over 2,000 brave heat, battle the odds for TESDA, DOLE job fair in CdO

16 May 2013

A day-long job fair organized in Cagayan de Oro on Labor Day saw a total of 2,184 hopefuls gathering to be interviewed and employed.

The Hanapbuhay para sa TESDA Specialistas: A Jobs Bridging program was organized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), especially for graduates of technical vocational courses to help them link with potential employers.
 
Of the total applicants, close to 1,600 were found qualified, including the 351 individuals that were hired on the spot either for local or overseas jobs.  The rest were scheduled for further interview.
 
The event held at the SM City Carpark in Cagayan de Oro drew 107 agencies and employers.

Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, expressed satisfaction over the good turnout of applicants in all of their job fairs in Metro Manila and the provinces.

"Job seekers are braving the heat and battling the odds to find chance for employment in our events.  This shows that they still have hope that anybody willing to work hard enough will be able to find a job," he said.
 
The TESDA chief said tech-voc graduates should grab the opportunity offered by job fairs because they are specially organized for them. 

"The participating companies and recruitment agencies come to the fair knowing that they would be meeting a pool of skilled workers who specialize in the fields they need.  This is where the TESDA Specialistas would have an edge because they are trained to be competent in qualifications companies look for," Villanueva said.

The CdO job fair was also highlighted by the skills demonstration and provision of free beauty and wellness services to the participants by tech-voc institutions such as Pilgrim Christian College, Culinary Institute of Cagayan de Oro, Professional World Academy of Misamis Inc., Iligan Computer Institute, DATS Actual Technical Training Center, Jamaican FB Training Center and the Touche Technical Institute and Misamis Oriental Institute of Science and Technology.