TESDA-9
conducts livelihood fair during Labor Day
by Michael Vincent D. Cajulao
ZAMBOANGA
CITY, May 3 (PIA) – The Labor Day job fair last Tuesday (May 1)
has again attracted thousands of job seekers in the city.
The Department of Labor and
Employment announced at least 13,000 to 14,000 jobs available jobs for region
9. However, one thing that is glaring about this figure is the fact that more
than 90 percent of these jobs are overseas.
“At least 13,000 of these jobs are
overseas”, Ms. Jasmine Cinco of DOLE-9 said.
While it assures most applicants
high paying jobs abroad, there are sacrifices that should be made, the
separation from their loved ones being one. Just over 1,000 local jobs were
available during the job fair; most are in the service sector. Applicants are
left with two choices. First, they work abroad and carry the burden of
separation from their love ones, and second, work here and are with their
families but with just a meager salary.
Lost in the frenzy of job hunting is
perhaps the best alternative from the choices mentioned above; a chance to
establish their own business with great potential for growth.
The Technical Education Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) has been advocating for Filipinos to venture into
business. TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva, in an interview over
television during the Labor Day celebration, presented an alternative to job
hunters thru entrepreneurship.
Last Tuesday, TESDA-9 simultaneously
conducted their livelihood fair side by side with the job fair giving free
skills training for those who are interested to venture into business.
“We joined the Labor Day activity
with the purpose of encouraging people to try business. We had a livelihood
fair where we gave free skills demonstration on needle craft using crystal
beads”, Ms. Marilou Olayan, Senior Technical Education Skills Development
Specialist, said.
This may sound simple but, the
potential of this livelihood skill is big.
“This is a good alternative for
those who wish not to work abroad or locally, and instead have their own
livelihood. They can make wallets, bags, cell phone holders, ID holders, and
other accessories to start their own business”, Olayan said.
What’s good about this business
accordingly is that it does not require big capital. It’s a low-risk, high
potential business.
They also conducted information
dissemination on other livelihood programs giving participants other choices of
livelihood.
Aside from the livelihood fair,
TESDA also accepted applicants for skills assessment.
“This will be very helpful to those
who really seek to be employed abroad. This is in a way, their license which we
give if they pass all actual exams on a particular work”, Olayan said.
Outside the job fair, TESDA
continues to help in developing skills needed for employment.
With thousands of students now
employed under the Summer Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), TESDA
has partnered with DOLE for the SPES Convergence Program.
“The program’s aim is to give skills
training to students who are part of SPES for them to perform better in their
work”, Olayan said. (MVC/PIA9-ZBST)
