TESDA Man Files Bill for Free Tech – Voc Education
Senator Joel “Tesda Man” Villanueva filed Senate Bill No. 1318 or the “Tulong Trabaho Act of 2017” which aims to give access to tech-voc training and enhance the current TESDA programs to provide fruitful employment.
The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development headed by Villanueva clearly said that the bill will help people look for more jobs opportunities.
The said program is widely offered to unemployed Filipinos, high-school graduates, and workers who seek to enhance their own skills.
“This bill seeks to ensure that not only high school graduates or those eligible for SUCs (state universities and colleges) will be provided financial assistance, but all Filipinos with potential for gainful and sustainable employment and livelihood,” Villanueva said.
He pointed that the objective of the said bill is to provide trainings and technical knowledge to help people search for a decent employment, specially for those who are financially incapable enrolling in a tertiary education.
Villanueva Further stated that the required skills needed in the market are determined and addressed through skills training that might also contribute in reducing job-skills mismatch.
He also seeks to establish the Tulong Trabaho fund that will guarantee financial assistance for the qualified applicants. This fund will be included in the allotted budget for TESDA amounting to P6.9 billion.
“This bill actually opens up the financial assistance to persons other than high school graduates, and can also include persons employed in the informal economy or informal job market. This then opens up the opportunity for them to expand their skill set and improve their present employment situation, as well,” the senator said.
However, the senator explained that qualified applicants will be accepted based on the criteria stated in the Tulong Trabaho Board headed by the Secretary of Labor and Employment. These would include income, level of education, as well as other standards for these training programs.
“We want to ensure that through the implementation and institutionalization of this program, our people would have just and fair access to opportunities that will alleviate them from poverty,” he added.
