Cutting hair is ‘in’–Tesda

Barbering, jewelry making and land surveying have replaced nursing and caregiving as top jobs in demand overseas, prompting the Technical Education and Schools Development Authority (Tesda) to open new courses covering these professions.

“We believe that there is a high demand for jobs in the fields of jewelry making, land surveying and barbering both in the Philippines and abroad,” said Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva.

“So in consultation with our industry partners, we have identified and approved the new roster of training regulations that it believes would offer more job opportunities and give tech-voc students wider career options to choose from,” he added.

Tesda has opened new courses in two levels of jewelry making, barbering, land surveying and trainer qualification, while it added a course in Electric Power Distribution Construction, Villanueva said.

The agency said barbers and salon stylists have been in demand in the United States, Middle East and Brunei. The Tesda course would provide training in haircut and other grooming services, among them hair and scalp treatment, coloring and shaving.

“There is a growing number of Filipinos who are taking up this course as an alternative to other tech-voc courses and after finishing the training apply for jobs abroad,” Tesda said.

Tesda also noted a growth in the jewelry market, paving the way for more employment opportunities for skilled workers.