ADDRESSING SKILLED LINEMEN DEMAND IN TESDA, DAVAO LIGHT PARTNERSHIP
On October 26, 2018, the public-private partnership between the Aboitiz Group of Companies through Davao Light and Aboitiz Foundation and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) 11 has once again been formally sealed with the former’s turning over of its Lineman’s Training Center and Electrical Installation and Maintenance Laboratory.
Before the formal turnover of facilities was held, Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. (DLPC) has already been an active partner of Tesda in giving skills training specifically relating to electrical and power industry.
There were the Basic Electrician Skills Training (Project BEST), the electrical laboratory project and just recently, in March of 2016, the Project Belt.Com or the Basic Lineman’s Training Center of Mindanao.
Project Belt.Com, which is proudly first in Mindanao, is a product of a focused group discussion to help address demand in manpower of qualified and certified linemen and increase employment opportunities in the regional through skills development.
The project has already produced eight certified linemen.
With this, Tesda recognized DLPC during the 2018 Provincial Kabalikat Award last September 7.
During the formal turnover witnessed by none other than Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio herself, she said, “The new facilities will enable us to give better training to those who wish to become certified linemen and certified electricians and professionalize the lineman training program in the region.”
Rosanna A. Urdaneta, officer-in-charge, Tesda director general, who was also present during the event, said that Tesda partnered with the authority in the electrical and power industry, the Davao Light, because “they know it better than us.”
Urdaneta also stressed that the project is timely since the demand for linemen not only in the country but overseas as well is increasing exponentially.
This was also reiterated by Anton Mari Perdices, executive committee member of the AboitizPower. “We have seen how the landscape of Davao City has changed in just a few years. Advancement and progress has brought an increasing demand for skilled workers like linemen due to the local industry needs not to mention high overseas demand for skilled workers also.”
The turnover ceremony, which was held at the Tesda 11 in Buhisan, Tibungco, was also witnessed by engineer Redentor E. Delola, assistant secretary of the Department of Energy, engineer Lorenzo G. Macapili, Tesda 11 regional director and Merjade Calvo, barangay captain of Tibungco.