TESDA launches "Trainees Day"

CEBU - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority celebrated yesterday its first ever “Trainees’ Day” as a sign of commitment in overcoming extreme poverty in the country.

October 17 to 23 has been slated as the national week for overcoming extreme poverty which is celebrated by TESDA through joining the Stand Up, Take Action campaign.

The event has gathered 5,010 trainees from 200 technical vocational schools and training centers in Cebu accredited by TESDA who will be counted as SUTA advocates.

Congressmen from eight districts in Cebu were invited to award the scholarship coupons to the scholars from their respective areas but only two of them showed up during the event personally while the others just sent their representatives.

Fourth district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon and sixth district Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz have formalized their partnership with TESDA in providing scholarships for out of school youths and unemployed adults. The two have pledged portions of their Priority Development Assistance Fund for the program with the counterpart fund from TESDA.

Salimbangon pledged P2.5 million for his district, plus another P2.5 million as counterpart fund TESDA. This raised the total scholarship fund for the out of school youths in the fourth district to P5 million.

Ruiz, on the other hand, will be allotting one million from her PDAF to TESDA programs which she said can benefit around 500 students who can enroll in courses such as welding, housekeeping, plumbing, electronics, health care services, food beverage services, computer hardware servicing, bar- tending, among others that are in-demand today locally and abroad.

TESDA has always been a tool in overcoming poverty in the country because in its 14 years of existence, it has produced vocational graduates that are now part of the country’s labor force.

TESDA regional director Rasanna Urdaneta said the skilled workers that they produce contribute in boosting the economy especially that skills they acquire from vocational courses are very in-demand abroad.

The aim of TESDA is to equip OSY’s and unemployed adults with skills they could use to find jobs. This is also to give them good life and to alleviate poverty in the country.

TESDA will also be giving 6,000 scholarships under PGMA training for work scholarship programs. In Region 7, there are 20 PGMA training programs that have produced 3,000 graduates last year.

Generally, there are 23,000 to 24,000 TESDA trained graduates from the different training programs that it offers. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/WAB (THE FREEMAN)