SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA)—The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in La Union hosted the World Café of Opportunities (WCO) at the Bauang North Central School Sports Complex in Bauang town on August 15, connecting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates with job opportunities and support services.
The event is part of the celebration of National Tech-Voc Day with the theme “Empowering the people through the provision of deliverable and accessible employment opportunities.”
The activity brought together resources and opportunities from both the government and private sectors to empower TVET graduates, helping them to transition into the workforce and further their careers.
Over a hundred job openings were presented by private companies at the event, offering opportunities in diverse fields such as information technology, automotive, business and finance, logistics, and supply chain.
This wide array of options underscores the strong demand for skilled workers in these critical industries.
In addition to job openings, government agencies like the Social Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund, and PhilHealth were on hand to provide essential services and guidance to TVET graduates, further boosting their chances of securing employment.
TESDA-La Union Provincial Director Ruth Dayawen emphasized that the event is a key part of TESDA’s mission to collaborate with both public and private partners, aiming to significantly enhance the employability of TVET graduates.
“This is the assistance provided by TESDA to our graduates. This is a collaboration of all stakeholders in La Union to share their different programs and services, as well as the scholarship being provided by TESDA,” Dayawen said.
Dayawen highlighted that the job seekers attending the event were skilled graduates from TESDA partner institutions across La Union, emphasizing the crucial link between the supply of trained professionals from these schools and the demand from employers eager to fill job openings.
“This is a job matching activity between the available skilled graduates that we have in La Union and the available employment opportunities provided by our partner employers,” Dayawen added.
The WCO was organized in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment-Region 1 and the Public Employment Service Office-La Union to offer support, assistance, and track employment results, including on-the-spot hires.
Ruvelyn Buli, 21, from Bacnotan, La Union, and one of the job seekers during the event, said, “Maganda po itong [job] opportunities para sa amin, para makapaghanap at makapagsimula po at marami rin pong matutulungan dahil [dito].”
(These job opportunities are good for us, so we can search and get started, and we can also help a lot of people because of this.) (AMB/CCMT/PIA La Union)
