Tesda trainees day set on May 4

CEBU, Philippines - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Central Visayas will hold a Trainees Day on May 4, 2012 at the University of Cebu – Maritime Education Training Center in Mambaling, this city, beginning at 8 a.m.

According to Ms. Rosanna Urdaneta, regional director of Tesda-7, in an official statement, the event serves as an open house which will also be participated in by various technical-vocational institutions with their students; parents of trainees, alumni associations, and Tesda scholars.

Urdaneta said that highlight of the event will be the launching of the “Park and Train” mobile training van set to offer free services from Tesda specialistas, various services from other national government agencies (PhilHealth, NSO, LTFRB, SSS, NBI, among many others); skills demonstration in bartending and as a barista; and a local jobs fair in cooperation with the Department of Manpower Development and Placement of the Cebu City Government.

Secretary Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, director general of Tesda, is expected to grace the event. He will be joined by Cebu’s top government leaders and industry partners, Urdaneta added.

Urdaneta pointed out that the Trainees Day is devoted to promoting deeper appreciation for technical vocational education and training (TVET), as well as for trainees who are the “embodiment of potential competent and globally competitive Filipino workers who, despite societal bias against TVET, pursued tech-voc courses unwaveringly.”

Many of these trainees are said to have transformed themselves from conventional academic orientation into the TVET realm. Today, Urdaneta said, these trainees express positive views on TVET because of its direct link with domestic and global employment opportunities.

The Trainees Day serves further as an opportunity for the government, the TVET sector, and various industries to make their nurturing and caring efforts felt by the trainees and their families in particular and the communities in general.

Moreover, the Trainees Day gives a chance to all those involved in skills development of people in Region 7 to render services free of charge (haircut, vital signs taking, massage therapy, cell phone and motorcycle repair); launch novel delivery mode of skills development program; demonstrate competencies in various occupations; implement “Adopt a Barangay Program” and award scholarships to deserving beneficiaries through their barangay chiefs; and conduct job placement facilitation. (FREEMAN)