The local government units (LGUs) of Davao City and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Davao Region are strengthening their ties to be able to train many Dabawenyos and help them qualify for technical and vocational employment and businesses later.
Davao City technical education and skills development committee representative, councilor Rachel Zozobrado, said the goal is not only to produce entrepreneurs but technopreneurs who can start their own small businesses without the need for very large capital.
“Most Dabawenyos are hesitant about going into business because of lack of financing. If you are already a qualified technical and vocational graduate, then it is much easier to start a small business with only your technical skills as primary capital. Not all people can find overseas employment even if they are TESDA graduates, but they can become technopreneurs,” she said.
The Mindanao Technical Vocational Education and Training (Mintvet), which will be implemented between 2010 and 2015, is expected to become the blueprint of the techvoc industry which will help them become more competitive and sustainable.
Zozobrado said the roadmap was developed with the support of the Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility (PHRDF), which is a P2.3 billion initiative by the Australian government and is being implemented through AusAid.
Zozobrado said the recent launch of the five-year roadmap for Mindanao’s technical and vocational sector will go a long way in helping tech-voc graduates find their own niches in the world of business.
While the roadmap will ensure the long-term survival of private technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) in Mindanao, she said this will also ensure that Dabawenyos are given the opportunity to get only the best technical and vocational education from the best and most qualified TVIs.
“We should really work on changing our students’ mindset from mere employment to becoming their own bosses. Graduates of technical and vocational courses already know the ins and outs of their respective sectors, so it will be easy for them to start even a home business,” she said.
Zozobrado said there is money in auto repair, electronics, cosmetology and other technical and vocational courses and this is earned not only through employment. [PNA]
Tech-voc graduates can start their own businesses, too, if they are highly trained and have the determination to start on their own, she added.
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