Tesda Pampanga resumes skills training amid Covid-19 threat

C

ITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Pampanga pushes to carry out its skills training and livelihood programs amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

In an interview, TESDA Provincial Director Eric Ueda stressed the importance of skills training, especially in times of pandemic.

“TESDA believes that it is at this time of crisis that we have to learn skills especially that our economy should be revived, and we need the workers,” Ueda said.

He said that the agency is still offering the same skills training and livelihood programs but applied some changes in the conduct of training in order to adapt to the new normal.

TESDA accredited schools, he said, may conduct classes online given that they have the recognition from the regional office, or face-to-face training as long as they follow the regulations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and their local government.

“We offer skills that are useful during the pandemic which can be used at home. We have the Electrical Installation and

Maintenance course, welding and automotive course, and other skills they could choose from,” Ueda said.

With this, he urged everyone to enroll in any of the 108 TESDA-accredited schools in the province.

TESDA scholarship grants are open for those 18-59 years old, given that they are high school graduates, or those who haven’t finished their College courses as granted by the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education.

Persons with Disabilities can also request for training, and are given special programs.

“The challenge for us is to invite enrollees because they are afraid, or some local officials or municipalities don’t want to allow the schools for training. Currently, we have 668 enrolled trainees throughout Pampanga, but it is far from the scholarship target of 3,546 because we are late to start with the pandemic,” Ueda said.

The director added that the enrollment for scholarship grants is open until December.

He also assured the public that TESDA accredited schools are strictly following health protocols in conducting and implementing their scholarships.