DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 1 April) – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is targetting a 65-percent employment rate for its scholars who will graduate this year from this city and for the province of Davao del Sur.
Nestor Tabada, director for TESDA’s provincial office for Davao del Sur, which includes in its jurisdiction this city, said in a media forum at SM City Davao that a total of 4,321 scholars for the entire province are being eyed to avail of the P36-million scholarship fund starting the second quarter of this year.
The TESDA scholarship programs for Davao del Sur, according to a document Tabada showed to reporters, include the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) for 1,665 students, Private Education Student Fund Assistance (PESFA) with 576 slots, Cash for Training Project (C4TP) for 1,080 students, and the Coke-TESDA S3TAR for 1,000 scholars.
He said the TESDA will ensure that at least 2,808 or 65 percent of the scholars will be hired after their graduation.
Interested beneficiaries should be at least high school graduates, Tabada said. Interested applicants can only avail once in any of the scholarship programs, he added.
Noting that Davao del Sur comprises 65 percent of the TESDA areas in the Davao region, he cited that 66 percent of 18,000 TESDA graduates in 2012 in the province have been employed.
He said the total number of graduates eyed this year will be just about the same with that of last year.
Tabada said TESDA-Davao has partnered with 125 schools, of which 101 are in the city.
He cited that the Coke-TESDA S3TAR aims to “transform women sari-sari store owners into becoming better entrepreneurs.” Coke is interested in sari-sari store owners because they are the soft drink company’s partners in the retail business, Tabada noted.
In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the C4TP has the biggest budget with a total of P21.6 million. Tabada said scholars for this program should be at least 17 and a half years old so they can be employed after the training.
He said each scholar of C4TP will receive P20,000 for allowances and tools for his or her chosen skills to learn for future employment.
Tabada said the trainings available are for employment in industries, particularly tourism, agri-fishery, electronics, and contact centers, among others. (Lorie Ann A. Cascaro / MindaNews