By Erwin Nicavera/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Negros Occidental is implementing a community-based training program to reach remote areas in the province.
TESDA provincial director Jimmicio Daoaten said as of Tuesday, Negros Occidental is the first to implement the “Adopt a Community Training Program” in the country.
“We hope to train more students in various qualifications, or courses, like food and beverage, cookery, bread and pastry, and wellness,” he said.
For December, the town of Don Salvador Benedicto was the first to benefit from the initiative, wherein a technology vocational institute (TVI) adopts a community and provide training either for free or at a cheaper cost.
“Through this program, we are increasing the access of the youth to trainings through service providers or training schools,” Daoaten said.
He said that TESDA provides the tool kit while the local government unit (LGUs) pays the training and assessment costs.
Other LGUs can just provide honorarium for the trainers, who are being matched with the needs of the community, he added.
After Don Salvador Benedicto, the program will also be implemented in the towns of Calatrava, Candoni and San Carlos City before the end of the year.
Daoaten said they aim to reach more communities in other LGUs with assistance from both government and private TVIs or training schools in the province.
“As a way of giving back to the community, TVIs will provide the training for free or LGUs will just shoulder only the fees for the trainers,” he added.
