Tesda allots P25.2 M for training of IT-BPO workers

MANILA, Philippines - State-run Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) launched yesterday the P25.2-million program aimed at supporting talent development in the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry.

Tesda director general Joel Villanueva said in an interview with reporters that the fund allocated for the Trainers Methodology 1 (TM1) and Trainers Methodology Plus (TM plus) is part of the P500-million funding approved by Malacañang last year.

The funding program for the Industry-based Training for Work Scholarship Project (I-TWSP) is a key initial component of the government and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines Roadmap 2016.

 The government and the industry hope to generate $25 billion in revenues by 2016 from $11 billion last year and generate direct jobs to 1.3 million from 638,000 last year.

He said the P500-million program would result to the employment of about 45,000 to 50,000 scholars.

Villanueva explained that Tesda has earmarked P18 million for 900 vouchers for the TM plus that includes IT-BPO industry orientation, blended learning methodologies, and industry immersion.

He added that a budget of P7.2 million has been allotted for 804 vouchers for the TM1 aimed at enhancing training skills.

“TM Plus will help ensure that we have a pool of highly competent IT-BPO trainers. Those who have completed the training will be responsible for training the next batch of trainers. And through this, we hope to achieve a multiplier effect that will increase IT-BPO-oriented training opportunities,” Villanueva said.

TM Plus scholarship vouchers would be available through selected technical vocational institutions (TVIs) in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The University of Makati, the principal partner TVI in the National Capital Region received 600 scholarship vouchers for the TM Plus program.

The first batch of TESDA-accredited trainers that completed the TM 1 program are training the TM Plus trainees. They include 12 trainers from Aegis, one of the global IT-BPO providers operating in the country.

BPAP president and chief executive officer Benedict Hernandez stressed the need for standardized training programs.

“Being a world-class IT-BPO employee entails more than having effective communication skills. It is also about the right attitude and possessing a high level of competency,” Hernandez said.