DTI, GTZ and SAC ink MOU on Business Development Course
San Jose, Antique – In an effort to empower local entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts to become business development service providers for small and medium enterprises, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), St. Anthony's College (SAC) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) signed on April 8 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Business Development Course, at SAC Audio Audio Visual Room.
DTI Regional Director Dominic Abad, Lorenzo Templonuevo of GTZ and Fr. Jose Bantolo, President of St. Anthony's College signed the MOU with the common vision of developing a competent business service providers for small and medium enterprises in the province.
During the press conference Abad said that the level competence that the sector achieve after finishing the course set no boundaries or limits, in extending services to other parts of the country or can hire services from other areas when needed by the SMEs.
SAC, a catholic run institution with courses on Business Development, will offer Diploma in SME Business Development, a one year program which can be completed in two semesters and one summer term. It will feature a combination of intensive SME development training which will be handled by the faculty of the Business Administration Department of SAC and reinforced with actual exposure dealings with SMEs under the supervision of DTI. Initial enrollment will accommodate ten students and will commence on June 2008, Leah Ledesma of GTZ reported.
Templonuevo expressed optimism that a graduate of this short term course will be competent enough to help local entrepreneurs become sustainable and eventually create employment in the province while Fr. Bantolo said that they will try their best to live up with the expectation that SAC is a center of excellence.
Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 694 giving higher education institutions whose programs have been granted government recognition have poised to ladderize recognized programs without the need for permit either from Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, a PIA dispatch stated.
Executive Order No. 694 directs both CHED and TESDA to issue a model curriculum for the programs to be offered. The higher education institutions shall then submit a copy of their curriculum for each of the proposed ladderized program to CHED and TESDA for them to ensure that minimum curricular requirements are observed.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that the new presidential issuance is part of the government's agenda to prioritize the creation of 6 to 10 million new jobs and the expansion of youth job opportunities. (PS Mabaquiao/PIA)