Several scholarship programs are being offered by the Technical Education and Skills Authority in the region (TESDA-XI) in the midst of the pandemic to provide more technical and vocational job seekers an enhanced employability and entrepreneurial opportunities.
TESDA-XI Regional Director Lorenzo Macapili said that among TESDA-XI’s major programs is the Training for Work Scholarship Program which aims to fill up the skills gaps required by the priority industries with high employment demand.
He explained that TESDA will subsidize the training and assessment fees, and will provide each learner an insurance coverage, training support fund of P160 per day, internet allowance of P500, and personal protective equipment.
Another program is the community-based Special Training for Employment Program (STEP), which “seeks to address the specific skills needs of the communities and promote employment,” Macapili bared. He said the program, which is being coordinated with the different congressional district offices, covers free training, monetary allowances and tool kits.
“Hinaot unta kanang mga tool kits paghuman sa training dili ibaligya. Kinahanglan gamiton para sa self-employment activities or entrepreneurial related activities (Hopefully after the training, the tool kits will not be sold. These should be used for self-employment activities or entrepreneurial related activities,” he emphasized.
TESDA-XI is also providing financial assistance for those who cannot afford but interested to acquire technical vocational skills from private institutions, through the Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA).
An applicant for PESFA must have an annual family income of P300,000 and below to qualify for the assistance. The qualified learners will also receive the same monetary benefits offered by the other programs.
Another scholarship program called Rice Extension Services Program is being offered to rice farmers and their dependents who are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), RESP provides skills on rice production, rice farming techniques and farm mechanization.
“So diri sa Davao, makita nato lapad kaayo ang basakan. So kinahanglan daghan tag farm schools maka register sa TESDA, public or private (In Davao, we can see vast tract of rice fields. So there’s a need for more farm schools to be registered under TESDA, public or private),” Macapili stated. (PIA-XI/Samantha R. Jabol)
