THE poaching of technical vocational trainers remains one of the dilemmas faced by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Tesda Compostela Valley specialist Mafel Joanne Gamale said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday, June 11, at SM City Davao that they are currently faced with the shortage of trainers and assessors as a result of those trained personnel being pirated by companies abroad or by national government agencies.
Poaching involves offering trained technical vocational trainers higher compensation packages and immediate hiring.
As a means to address this shortage, Gamale said they are conducting their annual National Assessment Day on June 26 to 27 at the seven assessment centers in Compostela Valley.
This yearly event has been giving free assessment to those who wanted to be future trainers and assessors especially for skilled jobs. However, for the first time this year, Gamale said they are offering the free assessment for all the programs offered by Tesda including those whose expertise are considered non-skilled or those who had just graduated from any tech-voc program of Tesda.
She urged everyone in Compostela Valley who is interested to attend the assessment trainings to register at Tesda Compostela Valley on or before June 15.
The first assessment center, the Assumption College of Nabunturan, will offer assessment for Bookkeeping NC II, Carpentry NC II, and Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II.
Chef Logro’s Institute of Culinary and Kitchen Services (Clicks) will also conduct assessment for Cookery NC II, Food and Beverage Services NC II, and Housekeeping NC II.
The Davao National Agricultural School will offer assessment for Animal Production (Poultry-Chicken) NC II, Animal Production (Swine) NC II, Automotive Servicing NC II, Bread and Pastry Production NC II, Driving NC II, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II, Horticulture NC II, Housekeeping NC II, and Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II.
The Infomatic Technical Institute of Comval Province, Inc. will assess for Animation NC II, Automotive Servicing NC II, and Visual Graphic Design NC III.
Maco Institute of Technology, Inc. will offer assessment for Animation NC II, Automotive Servicing NC II, Computer Systems Servicing NC II, and Visual Graphic Design NC III. Lastly, the Southern Philippines College of Technology of Comval Province, Inc. will be offering assessment for Bread and Pastry Production NC II and Housekeeping NC II.
Gamale said participants should really prepare as the assessment will not solely be a written test. They will be tested of their actual application of the skills that they know. After passing the assessment, they will be awarded the national trainer’s certificate which they can use to apply as trainer in any techvoc institutions nationwide.
Gamale said they do not mind their trained workers working in national government agencies such as the Department of Education as they know their efforts are not put in vain.
“It doesn’t matter even if they get pirated by NGA because we understand they also look for greener pastures outside of us,” she said.
Tesda 11 already has 40 tech-voc programs offered out of the 278 training programs nationwide. Compostela Valley only has seven accredited assessment centers while Davao City with more than a hundred.
Davao del Norte, on the other hand, has around 30 assessment centers and more than 10 for Davao Oriental.
There are new programs being offered by Tesda Davao Region that had long been offered in Tesda in other regions. These are lifeguard services and garbage collection trainings.
“These two programs are new in Tesda Davao Region so for now, we are not actually expecting assessment centers for these immediately,” she said.