A TOTAL of 25 applicants were hired on the spot (Hots) during the job fair on August 25 at the Almendras Gym. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Davao Region (Tesda-Davao) and the Public Employment Service Office-Davao City (Peso-Davao) jointly held the job fair.
By 3 p.m., over 1,000 job seekers had registered to pursue job opportunities. The event was a part of Tesda's observance of National Technical-Vocational (Techvoc) Day, themed "World Cafe of Opportunities 2023."
At least 36 local and nine international employers participated in the job fair.
Remegias Timonio, assistant regional director of Tesda-Davao, said the job fair is a pivotal initiative to welcome and motivate tech-voc graduates to explore potential positions offered by local and foreign employers.
"With this opportunity, they are now given a chance to engage with employers, and hopefully, they are hired on the spot, and those who are not hired on the spot will undergo jobs bridging from our Tesda schools and training schools, which will accommodate them skills that are needed by the industry," he said.
A diverse range of job vacancies were available, from the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector to the construction, agriculture, and tourism industries.
For individuals like John Kevin Sosobrado, the job fair gave him new hope. Sosobrado was among the successful Hots participants and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity.
Having patiently waited for months, he is now employed as a merchandiser at a food manufacturing company.
"Pagkahibalo nako ani, gi-save dayon nako ang time ug date para mo-apply dinhi, ang akong experience gisulti nako (As soon as I learned about this event, I immediately marked the date and time to apply here. I narrated all my job experience)," Sosobrado shared.
Nasefa Taurac, another Hots participant, traveled all the way from Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, to attend the job fair. A recent graduate, Taurac aspires to contribute to her family's well-being after completing her studies. She shared her intentions, saying, "Kani akong sweldo, para ni sa akong family, panggasto nila, pang-ayo sa balay, ug pangdagdag [kuwarta] sa akong ginikanan (The earnings from this job will go directly to supporting my family's expenses, improving our home, and contributing to my parents' finances)."
In line with Republic Act No. 10970, August 25 is officially designated "National Tech-Voc Day." ICE