SM FOUNDATION Inc. launched the first-ever National Certificate (NCII) training program for Customer Service at SM City Pampanga on November 19, 2021.
The program aims to strengthen the qualifications of the Filipino workforce and ultimately address various employment issues in the customer service sector.
The program is in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), SM Supermalls and SM Markets.
The program’s curriculum is designed to produce industry-efficient retail personnel under the tutelage of SM Markets. The first batch of qualified apprentices will train in SM Supermarket Pampanga, San Fernando, Savemore Malhacan, Baliwag, SM Hypermarket Clark and Marilao. Those who successfully complete the training course will undergo Tesda’s Customer Care NCII assessment and passers will be offered an opportunity to continue employment with SM. From there, SM and partner agencies will evaluate the program’s eligibility for expansion to other regions.
“Since 1994, our training programs in Tesda have given opportunities to Filipinos to obtain the essential skills they need to get employed. Through the years, we have designed various courses that help prepare hard-working individuals to perform properly in their chosen fields. Today, we add another program designed to produce an adept essential worker for a high-demand retail job. And SM, known for its expertise in Customer Care Services, will strengthen the qualifications of the Filipino workforce and help address unemployment and job-skills mismatch,” said Regional Director Balmyrson M. Valdez.
The program is open to individuals 18 to 28 years old who have completed at least senior high or second-year college levels of education. Qualified apprentices will undergo technical, values, and hands-on training for eight hours a day, six days a week. They are to receive a minimum wage allowance, as well as accident insurance coverage and free NCII assessment fees. Those who complete the program will receive an SM Partnership Certificate of Training and Tesda's NCII Certificate of Completion, as well as the opportunity to get hired in by the SM Retail group. The certification will also make them eligible for other local and international employment opportunities in the future.
“Customer Care is one of the most important functions of retail operations and we are very happy to be partnering with Tesda, DOLE and DSWD in sharing our training capabilities to interested individuals. We believe that nurturing the skills of our Filipino workforce will be very beneficial to the whole industry as we all work together to jumpstart our economy,” said SM Supermarket President Jojo T. Tagbo.
While this program is the first of its kind, SM Markets has been a venue for other skills training programs not just for frontline service but also for farmers under SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan program and for persons with autism in partnership with Autism Society Philippines.
SM Markets continues to serve various sectors by finding opportunities to share its business expertise and unlocking more livelihood opportunities for different communities. (PR)