TESDA-NCR Eyes to Train 10K Construction Workers this Year
By Ma. Cristina Arayata
MANILA — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority – National Capital Region (TESDA-NCR) targets to train 10,000 people in construction-related courses this year to support the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
In 2006, TESDA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for TESDA to help in the training and assessment of DPWH’s heavy equipment operators. The MOU was renewed last April.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday, TESDA-NCR Director Conrado Bares said DPWH needs 36,000 workers for 1,600 projects in the region.
“We need to supply that workforce and be able to provide training to 36,000 individuals. We aim to train 10,000 people this year in construction-related courses,” he said.
The challenge, he said, is that there are only 50 technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) in NCR offering construction-related courses.
The agency will strengthen the dual training system (DTS) to address this. DTS combines theoretical training in schools and practical training in companies. This kind of training would depend on the collaboratively designed plan of the training centers and the industry.
Using DTS, the total number of training hours is 60 percent in the company and 40 percent in school. TVIs should have memorandum of agreements with companies that will partner with them for the DTS.
TESDA-NCR on Wednesday organized a workshop for TVIs, companies, and contractors.
“The goal is to ensure there would be no gap in what we are offering and what the industry actually needs. Through this workshop, TVIs would hear if the courses or training that they offer do not match with what the companies are looking for,” Bares remarked.
“Attendees would also bargain with how they can partner with each other in training our enrollees. We could also conduct the training at construction sites,” he added.
Those who would undergo training at construction sites will receive certification of completing the program. They will also be assessed and receive a national certification (NC) if they pass and qualify.
Meanwhile, Bares said TESDA-NCR’s budget for Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) for 2019 is PHP403 million.
Construction-related courses are TESDA-NCR’s priority in TWSP this year, he added.
Most of TWSP enrollees, he said, often choose tourism and ICT courses.
“This is why, we hope the salaries in construction-related fields and other TVET courses would be increased. Every forum, we say that these courses have high employability. But of course, we could attract more enrollees if these kind of job receive a high salary,” he said. (PNA)
Source: www.pna.gov.ph