Tesda 12 says 1,334 techvoc scholarships are available
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – At least 1,334 scholarship slots for technical vocational education have been opened for interested and underprivileged individuals in Socsksargen Region, Tesda announced.
Richard Amparo, regional operations division chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) 12 said these grants are available under the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) for various qualification programs.
TWSP is a direct financial intervention in the provision of training programs intended to address gaps in critical skills and job requirements needed to boost the economy and needs of industries in a particular area.
Specifically, scholarship coupons for Socsksargen Region cover 202 items agri-fishery/agribusiness/ agri-industrial sector, 60 in general infrastructure/construction/ housing, 295 in manufacturing, 206 in information technology, 271 in tourism, 200 in language and culture, and 100 in trainers’ methodology.
These scholarship grants are valued at P8.504 million.
TWSP is open to poor, unemployed students and jobseekers as well as individuals who do not have formal training in the profession they desire to work in.
A scholar should be at least 18 years old at the time of the training.
Interested persons are advised to inquire regarding available courses in their area from the nearest Tesda field office where the scholarship forms are also available.
Amparo added that over 2,000 scholarship units more are expected to be opened for the region soon, depending on the issuance of memorandum from Tesda Central Office since Tesda 12 has targeted 4,005 TWSP slots for 2014, with a total value of P34.793 million.
Meanwhile, Rolando Palencia, designated information officer of Tesda 12, emphasized that taking technical vocational education and training courses is a very viable alternative to taking full college courses.
“In only two to three months, they could finish a TVET course at very low expenses and already apply for jobs,”
Socsksargen Region boasts of 76.1% placement rate of TVET graduates based on the nationwide Impact Evaluation Survey in 2013, which has placed the region third best performing region in terms of graduates that got employed.
Socsksargen Region straddles the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani as well as the cities of Koronadal, General Santos, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato City.
Amparo also announced that other than the TWSP, Tesda has also recently awarded 1,387 scholarship slots under the Private Education Student Financial Assistance (Pesfa).
This year, Tesda 12 proposed 1,510 scholarship units under Pesfa with a total value of P11.793 million. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)