Philippines starts online course on COVID-19 preventive measures in the workplace

The course spreads awareness about the nature of the virus, its transmission, and safety protocols for the workplace.

by Samaya Dharmaraj, 7 Jul 2020

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), a government-run organisation, has an online course on “Practicing COVID-19 Preventive Measures in the Workplace”, which is now open to the public.

As per Memorandum No. 245 dated 29 June, the e-learning course was initially intended for TESDA personnel as part of the agency’s precautionary measures in the workplace.

However, the online course is now open to the public to increase awareness of the nature of the virus, its transmission, and the health and safety protocols, which are vital in the prevention of the virus, especially in the workplace.

In a press release, TESDA provided instructions on how to join the course, which can be accessed on the official website. Once on the page, users can click the Login hyperlink to register. On the “Is this your first time here?” column, click on the “New Account” hyperlink.

The user must fill out the form, fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. One cannot proceed with the registration unless the appropriate information is provided. After filling out the form, click on the “Create my new account” button.

After creating an account, a message will be sent to the user’s email address. The email contains a link to start the account, clicking on the link will activate the account.

Before a user can enrol in a course, they must have an account with the TESDA Online Programme (TOP) website.

Users can log into the TOP website using a registered username and password. Once logged in, they will be taken to the TOP front page. The list of available courses is displayed on this page, each title is hyperlinked.

Then, users can click on the link of the module they wish to take. On the left side of the navigation pane, under the administration panel, users can click on the “Enrol me in this course” link.

After an almost two-hour orientation, a 40-minute summative test will be given wherein the passing rate is 80% and successful examinees will receive an electronic-generated Certificate of Completion digitally-signed by TESDA officials.

This undertaking is in line with TESDA’s mission: promoting inclusive growth of Filipino people from all walks of life through the services offered by the agency.

In June, TESDA began offering free online courses for students and displaced workers during the pandemic.

The free online programme is an educational platform, which students and displaced workers may enrol in while still on quarantine, as OpenGov reported.

It offered 68 online programmes under various categories such as agriculture, automotive, electrical and electronics, massage therapy, entrepreneurship, information and communication technology, tourism, bread and pastry production, preparation and cooking of meals, and housekeeping, among others.

The online training programme can be accessed on the agency website.

Moreover, TESDA also offers opportunities for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) but they need to register online. The project determined the preferred skills of the returning OFWs to match their employment or self-employment needs.

Online registration can be accessed through the TESDA application, which can be downloaded on both the Google Play Store and App Store for free.