To ensure safety, Tesda 7 to train linemen of Veco

All it takes is a few minutes in the dark during a power outage to realize how much we rely on electricity, and on the people who can get the problem fixed.

“Electrical linemen are the often unheralded people who power our world of modern convenience,” Technical Education

QUICKLY and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Joel Villanueva said.

In recognition of this, TESDA will invest anew in training them to develop their skills not only to keep them productive but also safe while at work.

In a recent agreement with the Visayan Electric Company (VECO), TESDA will conduct the linemen’s basic training program, which will focus on safety courses as well as the core modules such as installation, operation and maintenance of power lines.

The program will include graduates of Electrical Installation and Maintenance of TESDA 7’s regional training center. They will undergo a 22-day basic training for linemen to be held at the VECO Development Academy in Barangay Sirao, Cebu City.

Aside from the basic linemen training, VECO will also accept trainees under the Dual Training System with the Center for Industrial Technology and En- terprise and on-the-job trainees from different technical vocational institutions in the area.

“Through constant training, we are trying to perfect the skills and work practices of our linemen, who probably are engaged in one of the most hazardous occupations,” Villanueva said.

“Before picking up their toolbox, we want to make sure that electrical linemen are armed with the training and knowledge, and the physical stamina to do the job,” he added.

In 2013, TESDA and VECO worked on the same training program that produced at least 97 graduates.

VECO also assisted the graduates in looking for jobs and absorbing them into the company. As of May 2015, it has already hired 127 graduates doing project-based status jobs related to the maintenance of VECO’s distribution network.

The company’s investment in technical vocational education and training has reached over P2 million, which included the cost of training, allowances and use of facilities.

During TESDA’s anniversary celebration last month, VECO was recognized as one of the outstanding industry partners of the agency and was bestowed the Kabalikat Award.