TESDA testing online training facility

MANILA, Philippines - An online training facility is currently being tested by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in a bid to improve the skills of students preparing for employment in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. The eTESDA portal, said TESDA Executive Director Augusto Syjuco, is currently being beta tested. "As a student of the eTESDA portal, you have a virtual classroom 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Technical education and skills training will become highly personalized and accessible ... opening opportunities for millions of Filipinos here at home and across the globe," Mr. Syjuco said at the recent IT and Communications Congress. eTESDA programs include "Study Ka Na, Enjoy Ka Pa," which allows a student to study at his own pace, "Klasmeyt Ko ang Buong Mundo," an online study group for students taking the same course from different locations, and "Career Mo, Now Na" and "Trabaho Mo, Trabaho Ko" which are resume databases. Courses include software development and data management, said to be in demand in the BPO sector. "Analysts point to two developing countries as the likely world centers for software development and data management in this decade — India and the Philippines," Mr. Syjuco said. "Through the eTESDA portal, we will help live up to that forecast. We have the potential to capture half of all the call center requirements of regions in the world in the next five years, but it all depends on our ability to keep churning out the supply of knowledge workers to fulfill this potential." - BusinessWorld