DAGUPAN CITY — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Region 1 (Ilocos Region) wants to tap contractors and local government units, which have heavy equipment, in its conduct of trainings on heavy equipment operation.
“Baka puwede kaming magtulung-tulong sa pagsasagawa ng training para sa mga heavy equipment operators. Kasi kung school ang kakausapin natin, malaki ang investment sa operation kasi kailangan nilang bumili ng heavy equipment (Maybe, we could help one another in conducting trainings for heavy equipment operators. Because if we talk with the (technical vocational or tech-voc) schools, there would be huge investment on the operation as they will need to buy heavy equipment),” TESDA-1 Director Conrado Bares said in an interview Monday.
“Nakausap namin ang mga nasa industries, they are looking for construction workers lalo na yong nasa heavy equipment operation, mechanics, carpenters. Ang mga ito ang hindi napupunuan kahit saan lugar sa bansa, yan ang problema. Kailangan nating i-focus ang job fair sa sector na yon (We have talked with the industries, they are looking for construction workers, especially those in heavy equipment operation, mechanics and carpenters. These are the job vacancies that are not filled anywhere in the country, that is the problem. We need to focus the job fair on these sectors),” he added.
TESDA-1 held the World Café’ of Opportunities, a job fair and culminating activity of the 24th TESDA Anniversary and National Tech-Voc Day held at Stadia Hall 3 in Barangay Lucao here last Saturday.
More than 50 local employers and manpower agencies offering jobs abroad participated in the event, which catered to both tech-voc and college graduates.
Bares stated that in-demand today are workers in the construction industry, agriculture and tourism. He admitted these are the sectors less catered to because of lack of available manpower.
The TESDA-1 official said the event did not only present job opportunities, but also technical assistance from different government agencies that participated. TESDA also offered scholarship to those who would like to avail of this privilege, he said.
Bares observed that the youth today are not interested in the construction field and agriculture, thus, the need to counter and address such disinterest in these sectors.
“Kailangan mai-showcase o maipakita sa mga kabataan na may malaking kita sa agrikultura. Parang sa tech-voc, hindi masyadong interesado ang mga kabataan lalo ng yong mga may kakayanan na magkolehiyo, unang dapat gamutin ang interest ng mga bata, (We need to show the youth that there is huge income in agriculture. Like in tech-voch, the youths are not that interested in it especially those with the capacity to continue their studies in college, we have to deal with their disinterest first),” he stressed. (Liwayway Yparraguirre/PNA)
