Women are encouraged to participate in all skills training offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), particularly the traditionally male-dominated skills.
TESDA MIMAROPA Acting Assistant Regional Director Ben-hur B. Baniqued said women’s opportunities should not be hindered by old beliefs that skills are gender-based such as welding and electronics.
“Hindi dapat sila nalilimitahan ng lumang pananaw na ito lang ang kwalipikasyon o programang pwede nilang kunin [at] pwede pala sila sa mga ganitong programa na [itinuturing na] panlalaki,” Baniqued said.
As of December 15, 2024, there are over 31,000 female TESDA scholars in MIMAROPA.
He said the majority of these are taking up traditionally women-dominated skills such as training in the tourism sector.
“Pagdating sa mga welding, though may mga nagpaparticipate, nagi-increase na ‘yung [bilang], at welcome development siya pero still, hindi natin masabing ganon siya kataas o kalaki na,” he said.
(In terms of welding, some participate and their numbers are increasing. It is a welcome development. But still, we cannot say that it is substantial.)
Joelyn Dador, a TESDA scholar taking up Gas Tungsten Arc Welding level 2 in Occidental Mindoro, shared that she specifically chose to learn welding to upskill.
She previously took up Shielded Metal Arc Welding and obtained National Certificates I, II, and III.
Dador hopes to apply locally as a welder at a well-known car company.
“Kaya naman pong makipagsabayan ng mga kababaihan sa mga kalalakihan. Sa simula lang po, mahirap. Pero kapag natutunan mo na, madali na po,” she added.
TESDA MIMAROPA is working on making its projects more accessible to all, particularly those in far-flung and vulnerable sectors to provide more opportunities for empowerment.
TESDA partners with government agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Labor and Employment to ensure graduates are provided support from skills training to employment and livelihood, said Baniqued. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA-Occidental Mindoro)
