Tesda upgrades assessment procedures for seafarers

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) announced on Saturday a new system that will expedite applications for maritime occupations. Secretary Augusto Boboy Syjuco, director general of Tesd,a said "We are aware that the present system has grown outdated and so we are setting in place a simpler and more efficient system." The new system will strengthen security measures like in the design of accountable forms, Tesda’s chief said, referring to the computerization of the assessment and certification system. The new system records process from the filing of documents down to the issuance of Certificates of Competency, including online verification of documents and digitization of photos, signature, and fingerprints. Syjuco said "The system upgrade is expected to shorten the processing period from seven to four days." The upgrade of the system is a protective measure to ensure the integrity of the agency’s assessment system, he added. "We are talking here of a minimum 350 applicants for assessment per day," the Tesda chief said, adding that by the end of the year, the system must be fully integrated in Luzon and ready for duplication in the Visayas and Mindanao regions." The Competency Assessment and Certification Program is one of the three pillars of Tesda. The agency meticulously reviews the continued relevance of its policies, implementing guidelines, and existing systems on skills assessment and certification. Tesda is the only agency tasked to issue internationally recognized certificates of competencies for skilled workers. One of Tesda’s mandates is to set standards that vouch for quality skills training from household service to construction to seafaring. - GMANews.TV