TESDA scholarships: Big boost to education of youths
Gone were the days when parents fear that their children might not be able to get an education because of high tuition and school-related fees in college.
The Pangulong Gloria Scholarship (PGS) is in line with the Economic Resiliency Program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo provides free training, training support fund and free competency assessment to support job creation and job preservation.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known as the "Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994", which was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 25, 1994. This Act aims to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the country's human resources.
TESDA’s major thrust, which is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan shall provide for a reformed industry-based training program that includes apprenticeship, dual training system and other similar schemes.
In Western Visayas alone, 2,394 Pangulong Gloria scholars graduated under The Pangulong Gloria Scholarships (PGS) Program as of first quarter of CY 2009, according to the report of the TESDA Region VI.
Of the 2,394 graduates, 25 finished automotive, 94 construction that includes carpentry, masonry, plumbing, steel bar installation, construction painting, and building wiring installation.
For metal and engineering 452 completed courses in gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, and gas metal arc welding, while six finished consumer electronics servicing, 234 for health care services, spa therapy and household services.
In St. Therese MTC Colleges, available courses are bartending, housekeeping and food and beverage service; medical transcription at St. Zita Training and Development Center, Inc.; commercial cooking at the KRYZ Culinary Arts and Restaurant Services Institute; and barista at the Asian Touch International Training Institute.
Undoubtedly, St. Therese-MTC’s bartending instructor Brian Andrade is among the best instructors in this field. English instructor Ian Paul Jungay is one competent and dedicated teacher for the PGS scholars in the said school.
For information and communication technology 633 completed courses for call center agents, contact center services, finishing course for medical transcriptions, and computer hardware servicing, and for tourism to include hotel and restaurant 510 finished barista, commercial cooking, food and beverage services, bartending and housekeeping.
A basic objective of the PGS is to produce a pool of qualified and globally competent workforce that is "Job Ready" and to develop skills and competencies of the unemployed and the underemployed through training programs for pre-employment, skills upgrading and productivity enhancement.
The program packages of the PGS include On-shore scholarships, Off-shore scholarships, Trainers Training, and Institutional Partnerships, with qualification requirements, such as, ther applicant must be at least 15 years old, has taken the National Career assessment Examination, or has undergone should take the youth Profiling for Starting Careers, and must be unemployed, underemployed, retrenched/displaced worker or returning overseas Filipino worker.
The PGS is OPEN TO ALL as long as they meet the following requirements:
- at least 15 years old (OR high school graduate);
- has taken the national career assessment examination (NCAE) or has undergone / should take the youth profiling for starring careers (YP4SC);
- be unemployed, underemployed, retrenched/displaced worker or returning Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW)
Also, among the benefits from these scholarships are free career profiling, free full cost of training, training support fund, free competency and employment referral.
Those who wish to apply can call the TESDA hotline at 887-7777 which is a 12/5 call center. text TESDA SMS to 0917-4794370 / 0918-2738232, send email to contactcenter @ tesda.gov.ph or visit the nearest TESDA regional/provincial/district offices, TESDA technology institutes, or any participating public and private Tek-Bok providers nationwide and partners industry/sector association and other bodies such as TUCP, BPAP, Philippine Automotive Federation, Inc. (PAFI), Association of Carriers and Equipment Lessors (ACEL), Monark, DM Consunji Construction Inc., SEIPI, among others.
With Pangulong Gloria Scholarship, TESDA hopes to produce a pool of qualified and globally competent workforce who will be ready for the job.
Indeed, this is one excellent and laudatory educational program by the Philippine government.
Apply for a Pangulong Gloria Scholarship now and have a bright future ahead.