CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- An official said Friday that the local agency is set to establish "Blue Desks" in various schools for students wishing to pursue technical and skills careers.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Provincial Director Benhur Baniqued told Sun.Star that the blue desks will assist and assess students in the high school level of their competencies as blue collar workers in the future and properly identify what skill to develop under various Tesda training programs.

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He said coupled with the career counseling programs in undertakes with different local government units, Tesda’s blue desks will give the students the opportunity to get scholarships under the agency's Pangulong Gloria Scholarships.

After a successful job bridging recently where some 1,500 Tesda graduates were given opportunities for employment, Baniqued said that 38 competent scholars were hired on the spot by local and foreign companies while some 170 applicants are on a "near hiring" status pending examination and further assessment.

Baniqued said most of those who got hired were in the fields of information communication and technology (ICT) and tourism.

"Companies are now looking for more skilled workers in the field of ICT and tourism related careers like baristas and massage therapists. Some of the companies are also looking for people for the construction industry, commercial cooking and other high-end jobs," Baniqued said.

Aside from the blue desks, Tesda is improving its web-based mechanism through its e-Tesda portal where graduates can access opportunities based on their skills and competencies.

"We have to be prepared for this because right now, big companies like Hanjin, for instance, have a high demand for skilled workers. Then there is this military base in Guam that would be constructed soon and their request for manpower was specifically that of Filipinos because they said Pinoys are very good workers," he said.

He added that because of Tesda's vast training support fund and assistance programs, many students, after proper profiling, venture into ladderized and skills courses.

"Our dropout rate in scholars is very negligible. We are creating a data base now so we can get in touch with our graduates who are now working here and abroad. Like I said, Tesda is going all out to reach out to our students and schools to help them identify their careers versus the demands at hand," Baniqued said.

He said Tesda has the manpower and resources, including equipment, to support its scholars.

"Our courses are curriculum compliant; we have qualified trainors and sufficient facilities for 15 students per class in their laboratory and actual technical training. Moreover, we regularly conduct auditing of schools to see to that that the scholars get their allowances on time and get the training they need for their future employment," Baniqued said. (JTD)