Tesda vows to produce more skilled workers
A Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) official said Monday that the agency will review its training courses being offered to the public to complement the demand in local and foreign deployment .
“The monitoring or the intelligence team is now reviewing jobs that are in-demand today, either abroad or here. But surely, this year we will give more attention on training people to become highly skilled workers," said Rogelio Peyuan, Tesda deputy director general for field operations.
Interviewed over the phone, Peyuan said the training program will shift to the courses that will produce highly skilled workers like welders, pipe fitters, electricians, carpenters and others.
He added that Tesda is closely coordinating with the industry sector and manning agencies to monitor the kind of manpower they need and, at the same time, check what happened to the people that took the Tesda courses.
“We wanted to make sure that the people that took the course here (Tesda) ay may napupuntahan naman. Ayaw namin na parang magulang na nagpaaral ng anak pero in the end wala namang napasukang trabaho," Peyuan added.
Last weekend, Press Secretary and presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye, said thousands of the best welders in town are now employed by Hanjin in its shipyard in Zambales.
Bunye said Hanjin shipbuilding complex in Zambales is the fourth largest in the world. "The Korean shipbuilding giant plans to build five ships a month, 60 ships a year, and that requires a lot of welders."
Bunye added that another $2-billion ship building facility will be established in Cagayan de Oro by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. (HHICC) and Phividec Industrial Authority (PIA).
Peyuan said the agency might go slow in offering training program for those wanting to become caregiver. He said the course is much expensive compared to skilled workers, and the demand today for deployment abroad is not as aggressive as before.
“Napakataas ng requirement for a caregiver na hinihingi sa abroad, parang full pledged nurse na rin. Maganda nga lang tingnan at mataas ang sahod pero hindi na s'ya masyadong in-demand ngayon. But still titingnan pa naman 'yan ng monitoring team," he said.
Super laborer
Jackson Gan, president of Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (Pilmat), earlier appealed to the government to conduct a training scheme for Filipino laborers to familiarize them in “power tools" or modern construction equipment to make them more competent for overseas deployment.
He said the Tesda should conduct extensive training for construction workers like building electricians, plumbers, welders, mechanics, fabricators, carpenters, machinists and other skilled manpower.
He added the government should intensify the training for vocational workers and invest in more training centers all over the country to take advantage of the present demand for Filipino manpower.
“Foreign construction companies are embarking on multi-billion dollar projects in the Middle East and most of these companies prefer Filipino manpower because of their English skills," Gan said.
Last October, Vic Fernandez, president of the 700-member Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI), said 20,000 to 50,000 jobs are available to Filipinos and other foreign workers in the island state of Guam, a federal territory of the United States.
Plans to build new base facilities are underway in Guam as the US marines prepare to relocate from Okinawa to the island state by 2010.
Gan recommended that the government immediately implement an agreement between the labor department, Tesda, recruitment agencies and the Philippine Construction Board, for an apprentice/cadetship training program for new graduates interested in learning trade and labor skills.
He said the program was designed to produce thousands of skilled manpower through on-the-job training with construction companies for their own projects. A pool of trained manpower will be available for deployment overseas to meet the increasing demand for skilled Filipino manpower.
Business as usual
Peyuan stressed that Tesda will implement its programs as scheduled despite the graft controversy surrounding Tesda head Augusto Syjuco.
“It’s business as usual here. Although most of us, if not all, are affected (regarding the graft case filed against Syjuco). The 2007 was a very busy year for us officials and staffs; we have many projects and programs implemented. Then suddenly, there’s this recommendation against chairman Syjuco and other Tesda officials," Peyuan said.
Peyuan said they felt that Syjuco and five officials of Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) were not given due process by the investigating team of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.
He added that the penalty against Syjuco and bidding committee officials that PAGC recommended are too cruel and harsh. “Hindi man lang nagkaroon ng hearing. Masyado ring malupit ang parusa, aalisin sila sa trabaho, aalisan sila ng retirement benefits, disqualified pa to hold public office. 'Yung iba dun matatanda na at malapit nang mag-retire, kawawa naman," he said.
Syjuco and five officials of BAC are facing corruption charges for allegedly using Tesda’s P9.2 million funds to publish the book, “Salabat for the Soul," which Syjuco authored.
Syjuco denied the accusation and the case has been elevated to Malacañang’s Committee of Peers, which decides on graft cases against Cabinet-rank officials. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV
“The monitoring or the intelligence team is now reviewing jobs that are in-demand today, either abroad or here. But surely, this year we will give more attention on training people to become highly skilled workers," said Rogelio Peyuan, Tesda deputy director general for field operations.
Interviewed over the phone, Peyuan said the training program will shift to the courses that will produce highly skilled workers like welders, pipe fitters, electricians, carpenters and others.
He added that Tesda is closely coordinating with the industry sector and manning agencies to monitor the kind of manpower they need and, at the same time, check what happened to the people that took the Tesda courses.
“We wanted to make sure that the people that took the course here (Tesda) ay may napupuntahan naman. Ayaw namin na parang magulang na nagpaaral ng anak pero in the end wala namang napasukang trabaho," Peyuan added.
Last weekend, Press Secretary and presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye, said thousands of the best welders in town are now employed by Hanjin in its shipyard in Zambales.
Bunye said Hanjin shipbuilding complex in Zambales is the fourth largest in the world. "The Korean shipbuilding giant plans to build five ships a month, 60 ships a year, and that requires a lot of welders."
Bunye added that another $2-billion ship building facility will be established in Cagayan de Oro by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd. (HHICC) and Phividec Industrial Authority (PIA).
Peyuan said the agency might go slow in offering training program for those wanting to become caregiver. He said the course is much expensive compared to skilled workers, and the demand today for deployment abroad is not as aggressive as before.
“Napakataas ng requirement for a caregiver na hinihingi sa abroad, parang full pledged nurse na rin. Maganda nga lang tingnan at mataas ang sahod pero hindi na s'ya masyadong in-demand ngayon. But still titingnan pa naman 'yan ng monitoring team," he said.
Super laborer
Jackson Gan, president of Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (Pilmat), earlier appealed to the government to conduct a training scheme for Filipino laborers to familiarize them in “power tools" or modern construction equipment to make them more competent for overseas deployment.
He said the Tesda should conduct extensive training for construction workers like building electricians, plumbers, welders, mechanics, fabricators, carpenters, machinists and other skilled manpower.
He added the government should intensify the training for vocational workers and invest in more training centers all over the country to take advantage of the present demand for Filipino manpower.
“Foreign construction companies are embarking on multi-billion dollar projects in the Middle East and most of these companies prefer Filipino manpower because of their English skills," Gan said.
Last October, Vic Fernandez, president of the 700-member Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI), said 20,000 to 50,000 jobs are available to Filipinos and other foreign workers in the island state of Guam, a federal territory of the United States.
Plans to build new base facilities are underway in Guam as the US marines prepare to relocate from Okinawa to the island state by 2010.
Gan recommended that the government immediately implement an agreement between the labor department, Tesda, recruitment agencies and the Philippine Construction Board, for an apprentice/cadetship training program for new graduates interested in learning trade and labor skills.
He said the program was designed to produce thousands of skilled manpower through on-the-job training with construction companies for their own projects. A pool of trained manpower will be available for deployment overseas to meet the increasing demand for skilled Filipino manpower.
Business as usual
Peyuan stressed that Tesda will implement its programs as scheduled despite the graft controversy surrounding Tesda head Augusto Syjuco.
“It’s business as usual here. Although most of us, if not all, are affected (regarding the graft case filed against Syjuco). The 2007 was a very busy year for us officials and staffs; we have many projects and programs implemented. Then suddenly, there’s this recommendation against chairman Syjuco and other Tesda officials," Peyuan said.
Peyuan said they felt that Syjuco and five officials of Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) were not given due process by the investigating team of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.
He added that the penalty against Syjuco and bidding committee officials that PAGC recommended are too cruel and harsh. “Hindi man lang nagkaroon ng hearing. Masyado ring malupit ang parusa, aalisin sila sa trabaho, aalisan sila ng retirement benefits, disqualified pa to hold public office. 'Yung iba dun matatanda na at malapit nang mag-retire, kawawa naman," he said.
Syjuco and five officials of BAC are facing corruption charges for allegedly using Tesda’s P9.2 million funds to publish the book, “Salabat for the Soul," which Syjuco authored.
Syjuco denied the accusation and the case has been elevated to Malacañang’s Committee of Peers, which decides on graft cases against Cabinet-rank officials. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV
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