Ayala firm, TESDA partner for scholarship program

CEBU, Philippines -  The Makati Development Corporation, a subsidiary and the construction arm of Ayala Land, Inc. has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the Training for Work Scholarship Program.

The nationwide program seeks to train a total of 1060 scholars or beneficiaries who will be taking month-long vocational courses related to construction in TESDA accredited schools.

The on-the-job training for the scholarship grantees will be facilitated by MDC. The partnership is part of MDC’s commitment to employ local hires.

MDC has allotted 350 slots for Cebu particularly for the neighboring communities of Cebu Holdings, Inc. (CHI) and Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corporation (CPVDC) such as barangays Apas, Mabolo, Luz, Hipodromo, Carreta, Kamputhaw and Lahug.

Scholarship grantees who will pass TESDA’s certification exam and MDC’s assessment will be employed in the various construction project of MDC within Cebu I.T. Park and Cebu Business Park.

MDC Project HR Robert Genato said the program will provide opportunities to harness and develop skills that will make scholars qualified, globally competitive and job-ready for the construction industry.

The project will help align the quality of skills with the Philippine Contractors Association in the company’s preparation for the ASEAN integration.

“The organization is assured that the quality of workers from Cebu is the same with the efficiency of all MDC workers,” said Robert Genato of MDC Project HR.

Last August 8 property developer CPVDC conducted a jobs fair where job applicants from the neighboring barangays were prioritized in the hiring of construction workers for the redevelopment of the mixed use two-hectare superblock in Cebu I.T. Park.

Applicants who were not qualified during the jobs fair were referred to the program for training.

Six of the neighboring barangays had already conducted a skills inventory of residents referring a list of pre-screened applicants who are eligible for the scholarship program.

Barangay Luz councilor and Cebu Business Park and Neighboring Barangays Altruistic Alliance, Inc. President Ronnie Sab-a said the program would help barangays grow more in terms of providing employment for their constituents.

“Lahi ra man gud kong naa kay certificate gikan sa TESDA motaas  ang imong level as worker (It makes a difference when you get a certificate from TESDA, your level as a worker will improve),” Sab-a said.

The scholarship program will kick off this month.

"We are happy to have this program in Cebu, parallel to the accelerated number of projects and investments we will be bringing in in the next few years," said Francis Monera, president of CHI and CPVDC.

"We at Ayala have always believed in working with the communities in which we operate. With this program, we will not only be able to provide jobs, but also contribute to training when necessary. The enhanced skills set and experience is something that will be useful to them for many years to come," Monera added. (FREEMAN)