30 May 2013
After undergoing several weeks of skills training, around 2,000 youth have emerged as certified graduates, ready for work.
The graduates, who were all from Region 2, have finished their respective courses under the Cash for Training Program (C4TP), a partnership program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, attended the mass graduation in separate ceremonies at the SICAT Community Center in Santiago City in Isabela province and at the University of Cagayan Valley in Tuguegarao City on May 30.
"For the past several decades, technical vocational education and training (TVET) has been a poor stepchild of college education. Now, it is becoming a preference for many Filipino families," Villanueva said.
"Graduates of TVET now come in huge batches like our new Specialistas from Region 2. The education and training they received from the Cash for Training Program put them on equal or even better footing with college or university graduates when it comes to employment search," he said.
A total of 1,994 graduates received their training certificate during the graduation ceremony in Tuguegarao City and Santiago City. There were 1,133 graduates from Isabela, 111 from Nueva Viscaya and 750 from Cagayan.
The graduates finished their respective training in various courses that include automotive; construction; electronics; health/social and community services; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration; information and communication technology; language skills; metals and engineering; tourism and hotel and restaurant; and other short-term courses.
Among the institutions that offered the courses were the Isabela School of Arts and Trades Kasibu National Agricultural School and Southern Isabela College of Arts and Trades.
The C4TP was among the flagship programs of TESDA and DSWD, which will invest some P1.3 billion to train the youth and help them gain employment.
TESDA, through its 125 technology institutions and partner TVET providers and non-government organizations conducted the training for the beneficiaries.
The program started in December 2012 and will run up to the middle of this year.
C4TP has two components in its implementation: training for wage employment and training for self-employment.
Scholars who will be categorized under the training for wage employment will undergo training, and after graduation will be assisted through job bridging activities to assist them in their job search. For those who have chosen the self-employment track, assistance will be extended to enable them to set up their own small business, such as the provision of starter kits relevant to their course.
The program for training for self-employment may be onsite, school-supervised or through a partner non-government organization.
Share this page
