| TESDA
scholars form frat,
join advocacy for skilled work
Many
Filipinos today still continue to see technical-vocational
education as a lesser course of study, as last-resort options
for the poor, or worse, as dumping ground for non-performers
in college.
The social bias for college education is very pronounced that
it has not been easy to win general popular support for vocational
training. The possession of a formal education diploma is
what matters most to many parents, even if the sheepskin only
ends up hanging on an empty wall.
But, for the fourth batch of PGMA scholars of the shielded
metal arc welding (SMAW – NC II), who recently wound
up their four-month training at the Korea-Philippine Vocational
Training Center in Buhisan, Tibungco, Davao City, it is about
time that our society must change this mindset.
The members of the class organized themselves into D’
Glitters Brotherhood, which primarily aims to help “erase
the stigma attached to blue-collar jobs and to promote advocacy
for welding jobs and other skilled works as a noble profession,”
among other objectives.
For Rey Comingking, who is the PR officer of the newly-formed
club, aside from the cultural aspect, the skilled workers
are partly to be blamed as they allowed themselves to be sneered
upon.
“Daghan sa mga skilled workers maulaw mismo sa ilang
kaugalingon kay gawas na nga gamay sweldo, hugaw pa jud ang
ilang trabaho,” (many skilled workers are not proud
because they only receive a meager pay for a messy job), said
Rey, who had worked as metal fitter and steel Fabricator for
three years at the former Apo Cement Corporation.
He
urged them to be proud of their profession as they contribute
much in literally building the nation.
The
prejudice against skilled labor is now slowly being eroded
by the quality training that the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) and the accredited tech-voc
training centers are providing to skilled workers.
The
agency has stepped up its effort to effectively address the
social bias for formal education vis-à-vis the non-traditional,
industry-based, job relevant, technical-vocational training
and skills development in order to deal with the growing structural
unemployment that has been affecting the national economy.
Today,
having college degree does not necessarily translate to employment.
The National Statistics Office reported that more than 4 million
Filipinos are unemployed, many of them recent college graduates.
Governor
Rodolfo Del Rosario said the figure tells us that the problem
is not lack of jobs but structural employment, or an increasing
job-skills mismatch, where the kind of workers that our schools
produce are not the workforce that our industries are looking
for.
For
example, skilled welders have far better chances of employment,
either locally or abroad, than graduates of Bachelor of Arts.
“It is sad that graduation from college no longer carries
a guarantee,” the governor said, as he assured his administration
is also committed to address occupational bias and structural
unemployment, through the RDR WHEELS agenda.
He called for the reassessment of our cultural values, occupational
biases, and a restructuring of the entire educational system.
Seventy
percent of the D’ Glitters brotherhood are either college
graduates or professionals.
But
many of them dismissed that their primary agenda of enrolling
in the welding class is to gain some skills and a certificate
to be able to work abroad. Welders are now among the highest
paid jobs overseas.
Frankie
Rosalinda, the SMAW-NCII class foreman and the fraternity’s
honorary Grand Chancellor explained that some of them just
wished to acquire vocationally-oriented learning.
Rosalinda, who is an education graduate, has already worked
overseas, particularly in a logging company in Indonesia.
He
said his salary of $600 per month could have been much, much
higher had he acquired his skills in welding earlier.
Filipino
skilled workers are being hired, especially abroad because
they are good workers and the quality of their jobs enabled
the Philippines to create a market niche for skilled and conscientious
labor force.
The brotherhood’s auditor, Bong Nerves, who have practically
traveled the world as a seafarer for eight years, attested
that Filipinos are the number one choice for overseas jobs
because of their industry, perseverance and quality of work.
“Filipinos are very industrious and they endure everything
just to be able to provide for the needs of their families,”
he said, explaining that he now opted to return abroad through
a land-based job. (Noel Baguio/PGO-ID)
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