TESDA to hold 'World Cafe of Opportunities' nationwide

TAGUIG CITY, Aug.23 (PIA)--The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is preparing for the “World Café of Opportunities,” (WCO) a one-stop shop for job seekers set nationwide on Aug. 25-26.

In a statement, TESDA Director General, Secretary Guiling “Gene” A. Mamondiong said the WCO is one of the highlights for the 24th TESDA anniversary and celebration of National Tech-Voc Day on Aug. 25.

“The World Cafe of Opportunities is like a sector-based job fair aiming to connect government and private agencies to Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) graduates,” Mamondiong said.

The WCO through JoLiNS is one of the strategies to link the technical vocational education and training graduates/alumni to employment opportunities both in wage and self-employment.

“The WCO also aims to operationalize the agency’s Job Linkaging and Networking Services (JoLiNS) program, which helps TVET graduates to find jobs and other scholarships,” Mamondiong said.

The activity, to be conducted with the support of various stakeholders, will serve as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for TVET graduates/alumni where national government agencies, private companies, tech-voc institutions and financing institutions converge in strategic locations to offer all possible employment, training and financing opportunities and facilitate higher job-skill matching.

Its target beneficiaries are TVET graduates; entrepreneurs, companies/industries with job vacancies, and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their qualified beneficiaries.

The 13 government agencies committed to be a part of WCO are the following: Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) , Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Trade and Industries (DTI), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Office of Cabinet Secretary (OCS), Overseas Workers Welfare  Administration (OWWA), and Philippine Overseas Employment and Administration (POEA).

On the other hand, the six private associations/organizations which expressed support to WCO are the Federation of the Philippine Industries (FPI), Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP), Philippine Constructors Association (PCA), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Technical Vocational Schools and Associations of the Philippines (TEVSAPHIL), and Tech-Voc Schools Association (TVSA).

Mamondiong explained that it is the policy of the government to relay to the WCO through JoLiNS the key employment generators (KEGs) which will create and open job opportunities in various sectors, particularly construction, in support of the "Build Build Build" program of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The TESDA chief cited the cooperation of government agencies, industry associations, enterprises and financial institutions to strengthen government projects and eventually increase the employment rate.

Mamondiong said that it is the vision of President Duterte to create more jobs and pursue entrepreneurship from the grass root level. "That's why we need the cooperation of other organizations to create more jobs, develop livelihood projects, and solve job-skills mismatch."

In connection with the National Tech-Voc Day, there will be simultaneous celebration of National TVET Enrolment Day and World Café of Opportunities thru JoLiNS in 17 regions nationwide.

For the TVET enrollment, some 17,000 youth are expected to be trained by TESDA. Under WCO, 17,000 TVET alumni is projected to be given jobs from 17,000 employment opportunities.

The Kabalikat Awards, TESDA Idol, Tagasanay Award and TESDA Employees and Loyalty Awards will also be given during the anniversary celebration.