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| TESDA trainor conducts skills assessment of OFW in Malaysia (TESDA FB page) |
Top officials of the TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) and OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) are set to sign a memorandum of understanding tomorrow in Hong Kong to expand access to skills development for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families worldwide.
The MOA signing
between TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez and OWWA Administrator PY
Caunan will take place at the OFW Global Centre at United Centre in Admiralty.
It will be witnessed by Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. and Labor Attache
Cesar Chavez, Jr.
The partnership between
the two government agencies marks an important milestone in institutionalizing coordinated
government services for Filipino migrant workers in terms of skills training, referrals,
scholarships and other benefits.
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| Details here |
“Ang gusto natin, ibuhos palagi ang lahat ng
makakaya natin para sa ating OFWs. Sa tulong ng MOA na ito, sa wakas, magiging
institutionalized na ang ating coordination para sa profiling, referral, skills
training, assessment and certification, scholarship support, pati na rin sa
employment facilitation,” said Secretary Benitez in a statement.
(We would like to
give us much as we can for our OFWs. With the help of this MOA, finally, there will
be institutionalized coordination for the profiling, referral, skills training,
assessment and certification, scholarship support, and even employment
facilitation (for them).
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
“Ang layunin natin sa TESDA, kasama ang OWWA,
ay dapat siguraduhin na bawat patak ng pawis at bawat sakripisyo ng OFW ay
magbubunga ng mas magandang oportunidad,” he added.
(TESDA, along with
OWWA, aim to ensure that every drop of sweat and every sacrifice of OFWs will
result in better opportunities for them).
Coinciding with
the MOA signing is a competency assessment by TESDA of 63 OFWs trained in
massage therapy NC II by in-house trainors of OWWA Hong Kong today and tomorrow
(June 6 and 7).
Those who pass the
competency test will be awarded their TESDA certificates at the end of the
signing ceremony tomorrow afternoon.
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| OFW in Saudi Arabia undergoes skills assessment in child care with TESDA |
The assessments,
which were last conducted in Hong Kong by TESDA before the pandemic, are conducted
free of charge under TESDA’s overseas assessment program (OAP).
The OAP which was
launched in 2014 and further institutionalized through a Joint Circular in Implementing
Guidelines in 2016 and amended in 2019, provides free competency assessment and
certification services to OFWs on site.
The program was
implemented in partnership with OWWA and the Department of Labor and Employment
through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (precursor of the Migrant Workers
Office of the Department of Migrant Workers).
Since its launch
until end of May this year, a total of 10,468 OFWs have been assessed through the
OAP, of whom 9,054 were certified for an 86.49 percent certification rate.
Through the MOA,
there will also be data sharing, systems integration and joint program implementation
at regional offices, migrant centers and overseas facilities, not only for OFWs
but also their families.
The partnership builds
on existing government efforts to expand services to OFWs, including a 2024
agreement between TESDA and DMW to facilitate the delivery of skills and
livelihood training programs for OFWs and their families overseas, supporting
the registration of eligible overseas training centers and access to TESDA
scholarship grants.
