The 92 scholars of the Skills for Prosperity Project (SfP) program were formally recognized during a graduation ceremony at the Cebu Grand Hotel in Cebu City on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
Tesda 7 Director Gamaliel Vicenter told SunStar Cebu that the SfP program aims to provide “inclusive, area-based, lifelong learning” for scholars in Cebu’s highly urbanized cities who aim to enter the construction industry as skilled workers.
SfP is a multi-stakeholder collaboration as Tesda partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the British Government, the Cebu Contractor Association, Inc. (CCA) and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu to make the program possible.
The SfP targets to strengthen and enhance the country’s technical-vocational sector, making the beneficiaries fit in the in-demand skills and job and globally competitive workers, thus increasing their employability rate in and out of the country.
The scholars were trained in the latest and best practices in the construction industry, deployed to different construction sites in Cebu for hands-on training, and prepared them to be employment ready after the course.
Of the 92 scholars who graduated in the program, five are women, Vicente added.
One of the graduates, Jocelyn Uy Abrio, who secured her qualification for Carpentry NC II, told SunStar Cebu that receiving her certification could mean landing better jobs.
As a single mom of five, Abrio said that her work as a carpenter has helped sustain the needs of her children.
Working in the male-dominated industry, she felt challenged to showcase to everyone that women can also do the job in the construction sector.
Aside from Abrio, 23 other Tesda scholars also received their National Certification (NC) qualification in Carpentry, while 24 scholars have acquired their qualification for Masonry NC II,
Another 22 scholars were able to complete Reinforcing Steel Works NC II qualification, while 22 learners were granted qualification for Construction Painting NC II.
The training program lasted for three months that started last November 2022.
Shortage
Vicente said that the program aims to address a reported shortage of skilled workers in the region’s construction sector.
Vicente admitted that due to gaps in salaries and benefits, some skilled laborers in the region, especially those who are proficient in masonry, carpentry, among others, would rather seek better opportunities in other regions or outside the country.
Despite the challenges facing the construction industry, Vicente is hopeful that the graduates of their SfP program could help bridge that gap.
“This is a huge help as the employer will not hesitate to hire these scholars with their acquired basic and common competencies and their NC II qualification from TESDA,” Vicente added.
In 2019, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that the country has around three million construction workers, however, only a million of them were certified.