Armed with skills, over 1,000 Bohol graduates head for jobs

More than a thousand technical vocational students in Bohol province can soon get a head start on their careers after graduating from their respective courses under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The 1,033 graduates under the TESDA Training Trabaho Program were recognized in a ceremony last September 8 in Tagbilaran City led by TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva. Their training was funded under the agency's Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), Special Training for Employment Program (STEP), Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) program and Bottom Up Budgeting (BuB).

The finishers of the STEP also received toolkits to help them jumpstart their career, particularly by setting up their own small entrepreneurial activity.

"It gives students the advantage of having the skills and a certificate when they plunge into the world of work," Villanueva said.

"Technical vocational training allows aspiring individuals to quickly enter the workforce with handson training and a work-focused curriculum," he added.

For this year, TESDA has allotted 3,838 scholarship slots for the province for an amount of R30.36 million. Of the total slots, the current enrollment registered at 1,685.

The scholarship slots are distributed as follows: TWSP with 2,324, PESFA with 558, STEP with 99 and BuB with 857.

"There are stellar stories of success that paint a bright picture for the new batches of tech-voc graduates," Villanueva said.

The TESDA chief said the agency will continue working with schools and local government units to make the scholarship programs available to a wider population.

In Bohol, among the in-demand courses and qualifications with the most number of graduates are Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II; Food and Beverage Services NC II; Bartending NC II; Housekeeping NC II; Cookery NC II; Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II; Computer Hardware Servicing NC II; Finishing Course for Call Center Agents NC II; Bread and Pastry Production NC II; and Security Services NC II.