TESDA eyes offering 4 more language courses to OFWs

Two weeks after they launched their learning program on four foreign languages, a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) official said yesterday they are now contemplating on adding four more languages.

Tesda executive director Teodoro Sanico said during the weekly Newsstand Forum held at the Ambassador Hotel that they are considering offering language courses in French, Arabic, Russian and Japanese to the existing program that includes English, Mandarin, Korean, and Spanish.

However, he said the expansion plans would depend if they see a need in the labor market.

“We cannot say when this will pull through, it would depend if there is a demand in the labor deployment. For every language offered we coordinate with the embassies that are still setting up a curriculum,” Sanico said.

He said Tesda introduced language studies in the workplace to teach overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) “how to converse with their employers in their own respective workplace.”

Sanico said learning the languages of the countries where they woul work is a valuable asset for OFWs, enabling them to avoid miscommunicating with their employers and legal problems. He said they will also be taught on the cultural differences of each country.

The English language learning program has 100 students, while the programs on Mandarin, Korean and Spanish have 25 to 30 students each.

Sanico said every language course has a different curriculum and have different completion hours. The first batch of graduates will be from the English class. They are scheduled to finish the program by the end of the month or the first week of September.  – Evelyn Macairan