TACLOBAN CITY-A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was recently executed between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and a car dealer company with the primary objective of providing automotive training to 20 students.
The MOA was officially signed on February 15 by TESDA Regional Director Gamaliel Vicente, Jr., and Jimmy Yaokasin, chairman and president of Toyota Tacloban, Leyte, Inc.
Yaokasin expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, highlighting its potential to enhance the skills of scholars in the automotive field.
Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will sponsor 10 scholars each, who will undergo automotive skills training for a minimum duration of three months. During this period, scholars will receive a daily stipend of P160.
Yaokasin emphasized that the training program aims to improve the student’s skills, thus opening up job opportunities for them upon completion.
“This will upgrade their skills and provide them opportunities as they will be assured job opportunities,” he said.
Yaokasin said that the prospective scholars if they wish, could apply with their company or even apply for possible overseas opportunities.
Vicente echoed this sentiment, noting that this partnership marks TESDA’s inaugural collaboration with Toyota, specifically focusing on automotive skills training.
“This is the first partnership with Toyota with us which focuses on training prospective scholars on automotive skills,” he said.
Graduates are to receive certification of competency.
The agreement seeks to provide scholars with comprehensive training in automotive servicing skills, culminating in the attainment of certification of competency upon completion of the program.
Vicente underscored the timeliness of the initiative, citing the current high demand for individuals proficient in automotive servicing.
Vicente emphasized that the training will not only cover fundamental automotive servicing skills but will also incorporate the utilization of cutting-edge vehicles and equipment.
He encouraged interested individuals to apply, outlining eligibility criteria such as age (20 to 35 years old), non-receipt of other government educational scholarships or subsidies, and coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, among others.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
