CEBU, Philippines - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) launched nine training vans from schools offering technical-vocational courses at the Mambaling campus of the University of Cebu yesterday.
TESDA director general Joel Villanueva said that these mobile vans will serve as the training school of barangays which are beneficiaries of the “Adopt a Barangay” program.
The event was made as part of the celebration of TESDA’s Trainees’ Day.
Under the program, TESDA gives certain amounts to barangay beneficiaries for the enrolment of residents to the mobile training van. The barangays are selected according to the number of its population.
The University of Cebu has one training van that offers bartending to Barangay Mambaling, which has P137,000 worth of scholarship.
St. James Academy of Skills Technology Inc. has two vans that offer welding to Barangay Poblacion, Compostela, which has P387,500 worth of scholarship.
The MGB Skills Development and Assessment Center Inc. has one van that offers bartending to Barangay Apas, which has P137,500 worth of scholarship.
The Center for Healthcare Professions Inc. has one van that offers wellness massage to Barangay Alang-alang, Mandaue City with P137,500 worth of scholarship while the Benedicto College Inc. has one van that offers bartending to Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City with P262,500 worth of scholarships.
The Cebu Science of Welding and Skills Technology Inc. has three vans that offer heavy equipment operation and shielded metal arc welding C II to Barangay Labangon.
Villanueva said that as a nationwide activity, the project is one way of addressing the problem of unemployment in the country. According to him, many companies here and abroad need skilled workers today and that TESDA produces world-class skilled workers.
Aside from the barangays in Cebu, the mobile training vans will also serve five barangays in Negros Oriental.
Villanueva is encouraging schools and universities to accredit their technical-vocational courses to TESDA so that they can avail of the scholarships and grants. (FREEMAN)