A lawmaker on Monday said the shortage of skilled and licensed technical workers needed for the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) program could be addressed if the recently signed Tulong Trabaho law will be implemented properly.
Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, in a news statement, said the Tulong Trabaho Law directly addresses jobs mismatch and local shortage of master plumbers, master electricians and plant mechanics.
Republic Act 11230 was signed into law last February 22 by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it aims to find more skilled workers to sustain local employment as the government seeks to maximize millions of employment opportunities from the BBB program.
Herrera-Dy also cited the low number of examination passers administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for master plumbers. Since the July 2018 and February 2019 examination, only 908 newly licensed master plumbers were added to the country’s skilled workforce.
“Considering how many public works and houses are being built each year, 908 is such a low number,” Herrera-Dy said.
The lawmaker, citing the PRC, said 626 passed the board exam for master plumbers in July 2018 while 282 hurdled the plumbers’ exam in February this year.
“Our fast-growing economy needs master plumbers, master electricians, and plant mechanics. These are honorable and high-earning professions, but they often seek jobs overseas because the pay and benefits here in our country are much lower compared to what they could get abroad,” she said.
Herrera-Dy added the still unresolved water crisis in Metro Manila could have been avoided if the MWSS and Manila Water had more experienced and licensed master plumbers
“Some of the OFWs who risked going to dangerous places in Africa found jobs in waterworks operations. If only the pay here for plumbers is the same as or not far from what OFW plumbers get, our plumbers will choose to work here,” Herrera-Dy said.
The law or the Act Instituting a Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program and Free Access to Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) establishes the Tulong-Trabaho Fund which provides free training and additional financial aid such as transportation allowances of qualified beneficiaries enrolling in selected training programs (STPs).
It also provides that all costs to be incurred in undergoing assessment and certification, issuance of national certificates and other documents, administrative and all other procedures required for the completion of the TVET programs under the STPs shall be free of charge to the qualified recipients.
The law said beneficiaries include individuals at least fifteen years of age who are unemployed, not in education and training, and employed workers who intend to develop and expand their current skills and training.
According to RA 11230, “STPs may be school-based, center-based, community-based, enterprise-based or web-based programs.”
Industry boards and institutions that need funding for STPs from the fund may submit their list of trainees who are applying for assistance to the concerned Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TesdA) regional directors who will then assess the recipients for final approval of the Tesda director general.
These industry boards and institutions will have to ensure that not less than 80% of their beneficiaries of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund pass the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and Certification System.