01 November 2014
Filipino household service workers (HSWs) and other skilled workers in Hong Kong and Dubai can now have a chance of obtaining a National Certificate (NC) to raise their status and open opportunities for better careers.
Preparations are now being undertaken by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the conduct of an on-site skills assessment in these two countries among Filipino HSWs with the aim of certifying them and helping them pursue other career options.
The National Certificate (NC) is issued to a candidate who has hurdled the assessment procedure. Having a validity of five years, the NC is a valuable credential in applying for jobs, TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva said.
"Competency assessment and certification services will be provided to those who wish to confirm whether they possess the competencies required in their preferred jobs," he said.
"We want to provide opportunities to open pathways for different, if not better-paying and more satisfying careers," Villanueva added.
The on-site assessment is part of the offering of TESDA and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in countries with huge population of Filipino household service workers such as Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore.
From August 16 to September 9, TESDA and DOLE have conducted a profiling of sample Filipino workers in Hong Kong, consisting of 296 individuals in the household service work.
Profiling of workers is also ongoing in Dubai in preparation for the assessment.
TESDA will select from its pool of accredited assessors those who would be sent to the foreign countries to conduct the assessment. TESDA will also tap the services of accredited tech-voc institutions and assessment centers that have established branches overseas.
Villanueva said that competency assessment would be offered initially in food and beverage servicing, housekeeping, hairdressing and beauty care.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that Filipino household service workers should be provided with skills that will allow them to move from the typical household jobs to working in positions in institutions, e.g. hotels and restaurants that require similar or related skills. Training conducted by the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices, she said, should meet TESDA standards.
The government will continue to provide the necessary intervention such as skills training, scholarships, job facilitation, entrepreneurship opportunities and other training and employment services to assist the Filipino workers, Villanueva said.
Under the on-site assessment program, any Filipino household service worker, including those who are not technical-vocational graduates, may accomplish the profiling form through the website of TESDA (www.tesda.gov.ph).
TESDA will announce in its website those who have successfully passed the competency assessment.
Other qualifications where on-site assessment can be done are the following: Housekeeping, Cookery, Food and Beverage Services, Computer System Servicing, Bread and Pastry Production, Beauty Care Services and other ICT qualifications.
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