140 domestic workers in UAE and HK get NC II

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LABOR Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said she was delighted that initial 140 household service workers (HSWs) successfully passed the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) assessment
and were given National Certificate II.

“I am pleased to note that the TESDA, in cooperation with our Philippine Overseas Labor Offices, is off to a good start in its on-site skills assessment and certification program,” said Baldoz. In his report, TESDA Secretary Joel
Villanueva said the 140 NC II-certified HSWs are among the 177 HSWs assessed in Hong Kong and Dubai. “The 140 HSWs were issued NC II in nine qualifications: food and beverage service; housekeeping; beauty care; technical drafting; hairdressing; bread and pastry; wellness massage; massage therapy; and visual graphics,” Villanueva said.

The TESDA chief added in his report that he expects the number of HSWs to be assessed and certified to increase in 2015. “We are targeting 850 certified HSWs this year. We have already processed 2,182 manpower profile forms and profiled 685 prospective HSW candidates for assessment in 37 qualifications.”

Baldoz, who is the TESDA board chair, last year ordered the onsite skills assessment and certification to enable HSWs and other low-skilled OFWs to veer away from plain domestic work and transit to establishment-based jobs, envisioning outside-the-home occupations with prospect for higher incomes. Villanueva said that to boost its number of manpower assessors, the TESDA has developed a blended online training program on Trainers’ Methodology.

“In Dubai, 31 prospective assessors attended the training program and the POLO has now 10 new assessors out of 18 candidates who passed the blended online training, or a 56 percent passing rate. We have also scheduled the assessment loading for the new assessors this June leading to their accreditation,” he said further in his report.
In other posts, the TESDA has received and reviewed 34 training curricula submitted by Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, London, Qatar, Milan, Hong Kong, and Oman. TESDA Executive Director Patti dela Rama had also visited Milan, Rome, Singapore.