Tesda’s online tourism courses in demand among OFWS
OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWS) have taken preference to online programs on tourism, notwithstanding the said industry being badly hit by the pandemic since last year.
Based on data released by the electronic-technical Education and Skills Development Authority (e-tesda), a total of 23,818 OFWS or their dependents enrolled in courses under the tourism sector from March 16 to December 31, 2020, through the Tesda Online Program (TOP). This was followed by programs under human health/ health-care and entrepreneurship sectors with 12,368 and 11,416 enrollees, respectively.
The 80 courses available in TOP are divided into 21st-century skills: agriculture; automotive; electrical and electronics; entrepreneurship; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning; human health/health care; information and communications technology; lifelong-learning skills; maritime; processed food and beverages; social, community development and
other services; tourism; as well as technical-vocational education and training. Some courses in other industries are yet to have more Ofw-enrollees.
While the tourism sector can further enrich OFWS’ skills, Tesda Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña noted that it is to their advantage if they also learn some agricultural skills and, eventually, become “agripreneurs.” He said: “It became more difficult to earn this pandemic, because many Filipinos have lost their jobs and livelihood, especially in the tourism sector. However, [they can also take courses under the agriculture sector; that way, they can ensure more of them will learn ways to produce food for their] families and loved ones.”
A total of 2,679 enrollees for the fruit-grower course was recorded by e-tesda by the end of 2020. However, the agriculture sector’s eight other courses have yet to receive enrollees.
Apart from online courses, faceto-face training under the agrifishery sector is also available. The Tesda chief pushed for a special feature in their mobile app, where OFWS can register and avail of the programs prepared for them.
The agency earlier reported that TOP registrants totaled 1,238,522 since the pandemic started until the end of last year. Of the figure, the number of OFWS reached 60,937; 7,099 are their dependents, while 18,064 were categorized as “returning.”
Meanwhile, 36 percent of the total number of enrollees, or 31,435, have completed their courses. The tourism sector has the highest number of course completers with 7,325; followed by human health/ health care with 6,456 graduates; and entrepreneurship with 3,854 finishers.
The data also disclosed that 20.54 percent of the overall number of enrollees, or 20,478 individuals, are from the Cavite-lagunabatangas-rizal-quezon region, or Calabarzon; 18.04 percent, or 17,992, were from the National Capital Region; and 13.29 percent, or 13,247, hailed from Region 3, or Central Luzon.