ANGELES CITY – About 45 youth from Angeles City completed a three-month online course of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The youth completers include 14 in Cookery NC II; 9 in Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II, 8 in Computer System Servicing NC II, and 7 each in Food and Beverages NC II and Housekeeping NC II.
The initiative is part of Opportunity 2.0: Second-Chance Opportunities for Out-of-School Youth program of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which seeks to improve the education, employment, and livelihood outcomes of out-of-school youth.
USAID Opportunity 2. 0 Chief of Party David Hall said this is part of a five-year program in partnership with TESDA, Department of Education, Department of Trade and Industry, local government units, universities, and private sector partners, which aims to support over 190,000 youth and more than 2,000 teachers and trainers in 12 cities across the Philippines, including Angeles City.
“Today’s graduates are the pilot batch in the city. We think this not only makes a great pilot, but over time, this shows that we can have significant impact on the youth in these localities by using this kind of approach. I hope others will be able to pick up this approach and keep moving since this works well as a jumpstart to the fulfillment of the youth’s’ true potential,” Hall said.
For his part, USAID Philippines Office of Education Director Thomas LeBlanc congratulated the graduates for completing the program and working hard through many challenges, especially those created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Today is a celebration of your determination, your drive, and your success. It’s been over a year and a half since classrooms were closed and skills training programs were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic… The TESDA Online Program which already was a vital tool to reach Filipino youth across the country even before the Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be even more important now that we have shifted to online or blended learning,” LeBlanc said.
He also thanked USAID’s partners as he vowed to remain committed to working with them towards their shared goal of equipping Filipino youth with the tools and opportunity they need so that they can have a better tomorrow.
Meanwhile, TESDA Regional Director Balmyrson Valdez assured that they will remain true to their calling of providing relevant, accessible, high quality, and efficient technical education and skills training development opportunities to their clientele.
“The TESDA Online Program has been a very good delivery approach to still continue the provision of the needed skills training program notwithstanding the limitation on the mobility of our beneficiaries due to quarantine restrictions in our area. I am hopeful that the competency that you have attained from the training program made you into a work-ready individual, ready to face the challenges ahead,” he said.
