MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally launched today two new major programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aimed at improving the skills and knowledge level of the Filipino worker.
Launched during simple ceremonies in Malacanang this afternoon were the PGMA-FAST (Free Assessment Service of TESDA) and the e (electronic)-TESDA programs which will to provide greater access to TESDA skills training and assessment services not only to high school graduates but also to other sectors, including returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), out-of-school youths and persons with disabilities.
Some 500 guests consisting of government officials and employees, students, trainees, teachers and school administrators from TESDA-accredited training institutions attended the launching.
TESDA Executive Director Augusto Syjuco said the PGMA-FAST program provides a student or trainee an assessment of his credentials and qualifications which will guide the prospective employee through the right job suited to his skills.
He added that the program will also provide free assessment certifications to poor, job-ready students who cannot afford the fees for assessment.
“The PGMA-FAST ensures that poor, job-ready students and workers can obtain certification which is an added credential for free, or at no cost to them,” Syjuco said.
He added that the thousands of “job-ready” students graduating from the PGMA-Training-for-Work Scholarship Program will obtain certifications from the PGMA-FAST Assessments Centers all over the country.
“This will add to their credentials and will facilitate their employment,” Syjuco said.
The e-TESDA is an on-line skills development system which the ordinary Filipino can access via the internet.
Through e-TESDA, any Filipino can experience and complete all the technical-education and skills-development modules already being offered by the government in the regular classroom and face-to-face instruction method online.
For those who want a mix of tech-savvy and old-school teaching methods, e-TESDA also offers “blended” methods of training and instruction in which online and other cybertech means using multi-media are combined with traditional teaching.
Aside from providing online and blended methods of training, e-TESDA services include career guidance and counseling, competency assessment and certification, job matching and referral.
During the ceremonies, the President was given a short demonstration of the e-TESDA portal (www.e-tesda.gov.ph) and was shown a live assessment file of an employee who works for Brain Bench, an online assessment partner of e-TESDA.
The President was also presented scholarships for 250 deserving students picked from the National Capital Region, Regions 3 and 4-A and from Allen, Samar who will soon avail themselves of TESDAs e-Learning program.
The students will undergo training in various courses particularly in electronics and engineering. (OPS) davaotoday.com
