300 youths to benefit from TESDA partnership with PEZA, Informatics

MANILA, Philippines – To ensure its scholars get employed, especially in the Information Technology (IT) industry, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) enters into partnerships with private sector organizations.

Among its latest efforts to boost private-public partnerships is a memorandum of agreement (MoA) TESDA entered into with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Informatics to undertake a project for 300 women out-of-school-youths (OSYs) in Mactan.

TESDA director general Joel Villanueva said the MoA aims to boost competence and enhance IT skills of 300 OSYs.

“This partnership facilitates the granting of a total of P1.2 million for their training on Computer Hardware Servicing NC II and Finishing Course for Call Center Agents NC II,” Villanueva said.

Under the program called Equal Employment Opportunities for the Out-of-School Youth, PEZA will provide financial assistance amounting to P600,000 for the maintenance of the computer amenities of Informatics that will be used during the duration of the trainings, he said.

“While we TESDA will provide a counterpart fund of P600,000 from the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) for the project,”  Villanueva said that a budget of P4,000 for each of the 300 female OSYs will be earmarked under this program.

He also added that while PEZA is in charge of identifying the female OSYs who will undergo the training from the barangays in the vicinity of the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ), Informatics will provide the necessary facilities and personnel for the training in accordance with TESDA-Board- approved training programs.

This program, according to Villanueva, began when PEZA expressed its desire to implement a Gender and Development (GAD) Project for female OSYs.

“This project aims to equip women OSYs with sufficient skills to increase their employability in the IT industry and enable them to build a better future for themselves and their families,” he said.

TESDA will be issuing National Certificates to graduates while PEZA will recommend them to PEZA-registered IT enterprises and other companies for possible employment. –INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT, Manila Bulletin