TESDA promotes entrep, techvoc training among OSYs

Technical vocational education especially for the out-of-school youth took center stage at the celebration of the International Year of the Youth, which gathered government agencies, international institutions and non-government organizations to promote youth welfare and empowerment.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Joel Villanueva joined other government agency heads in gracing various initiatives held at the SM Mall of Asia Convention Center to celebrate the event, which coincided with the signing of a partnership agreement with the International Labor Organization. The event also featured learning sessions that showcased TESDA’s Apprenticeship Program in partnership with Panasonic.

“As we celebrate the International Youth Day, we focus our initiatives in educating and empowering youth to become more productive assets of society. Technical vocational education remains to be one of the most interventions because it gives out-of-school-youths an option,” Villanueva said. “In technical vocational education, the out of school youths have a choice,” he said.

Villanueva, together with representatives of the Department of Labor and Employment and the International Labor Organization led the ceremonial signing of a Partner’s Agreement in Entrepreneurship and TechVoc Training. The agreement targets 2,000 youths from poor communities in four provinces namely, Masbate, Antique, Agusan del Sur and Maguindanao. ILO will shoulder the training fees of the trainees, who will be chosen based on the results of a skills survey to determine the courses that are fit for them.

Villanueva also joined JobStreet.com in its career fair to express TESDA’s appropriation for holding the event that would give technical vocational graduates a chance to seek instant jobs. Dubbed the Jobgantic Career Fair 2011, the event featured series of Hiring-on-the-Spot (HOTS) results that showcased newly-hired applicants and the different firms that employed them.

“Hiring on the Spot has revolutionized the way traditional job hunting is done and made things easier for both the applicants and the hiring firm,” Villanueva said. “We hope we can replicate this in partnership with JobStreet.com in many other career fairs,” he added.

TESDA earlier forged a deal with the online job facilitation company, which will help tech voc graduates find relevant jobs after finishing their courses. The agreement will give access to TESDA graduates to use the firm’s job matching services and jobseeker sign-up facility for possible employment right after graduation.

Villanueva said that TESDA’s technical vocational training programs continue to produce graduates who are skilled and possess the qualifications needed by companies. The assessment and certification program of the agency also boosted its pool of graduate’s employability. Job seekers who went to the two-day event got the opportunity to be hired on the spot if they meet the necessary requirements. “We expect some of these new-hires to be TESDA certified graduates,” he said.

Villanueva graced the event with Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and other labor officials.