31 July 2013
More than 2,000 graduates were feted in separate ceremonies in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan for finishing their respective courses under the government's flagship initiative called the Cash for Training Program (C4TP).
The graduates, after undergoing assessment and certification, will now be ready for employment or for starting a business of their own.
"Graduates of technical vocational education and training (TVET) are in high demand. Looking for work, therefore, will not be difficult for them, “Secretary Joel Villanueva, director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), said.
Based on the 2012 Impact Evaluation Study (IES), the agency has achieved a 62 percent employment rate from among its graduates, Villanueva said.
"TESDA's intervention does not end with the skills training, it goes all the way to linking our graduates to their dream job," he added.
Job fairs were simultaneously held with the graduation rites, which was participated by private companies prepared to hire workers on the spot.
A total of 1,104 students graduated in Nueva Ecija held Tuesday (July 30) at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center in Palayan City.
They finished courses such as Computer Hardware Servicing NC II, Hilot (Wellness Massage) NC II, Bartending NC II, Food and Beverage Services NC II, among others.
In Bulacan, 950 graduates attended the ceremony on July 31 at the Malolos City Sports and Convention Center in Malolos City.
C4TP is a joint undertaking of TESDA and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) designed to assist disadvantaged youth by giving them training, and helping them to find work or livelihood.
The DSWD is providing the funds for the training being conducted by TESDA and its own technology institutions, private TVET institutions and in the community together with non-government organizations.
C4TP has two components in its implementation: training for wage employment and training for self-employment.
As of June 30, the program has graduated 36,613 in various qualifications nationwide. Most of them are now working or engaged in their own small business.
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