Metro Manila begins hunt for top skilled workers in regional competition

17 November 2013

Metro Manila has begun the search for skilled workers to be pitted against the country's best and most competent skilled workers with the recent holding of its 2013 Regional Skills Competition.

The winners will go up against the competitors who will top in various trade areas in the same skills competition in other regions all over the country.

The regional contests are part of the preparations being undertaken by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in choosing the Philippine delegates to the ASEAN Skills Competition (ASC) and hopefully to the World Skills Competition.

"The ASEAN Skills Competition is a chance to showcase the competence of Filipino workers, and we will not let this pass," Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, said.

Through the years, skills competitions are also being used as part of the strategy to drive up the standards and esteem for technical vocational education and training (TVET), Villanueva added.

“We want the kind of tech-voc graduates who thrive and excel in a competitive environment. Competition boosts the quality of both the TVET institutions and their graduates,” said the TESDA chief who was present during the opening ceremony of the five-day event.

A total of 58 participants vied in 18 different trade areas held in eight venues from November 11 to 15.

The trade areas were on welding; confectioner/pastry cook; restaurant services; information network cabling; IT software solution; web design; graphics design; IT network system administration; CADD; electrical installation and maintenance; industry automation; electronics; mechatronics; cooking; automotive; refrigeration and air conditioning; industry control; and hairdressing.

The test packages used were adopted from those used in the 9th ASEAN Skills Competition in Indonesia.

The winners in the regional skills competition will undergo training to compete in the Philippine National Skills Competition tentatively scheduled in January to March 2014.

Those who will top at the national level will be trained to represent the country at the ASC.

The awarding ceremony is scheduled on November 20 at 1 p.m. at the Tandang Sora Hall, TESDA Women's Center in Taguig City.