FILIPINOS aspiring to work in Canada stand to benefit from the partnership between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and the Canadian government aimed at upskilling and providing employment opportunities.
Tesda Director General Danilo P. Cruz and Canadian Health Minister Paul Merriman of the Province of Saskatchewan reiterated this commitment during their recent discussion on possible areas of cooperation in technical-vocational educational training (TVET). (Read the BusinessMirror, Dec. 8: “Canada’s Saskatchewan Province keen on tapping Pinoy HCWs’ global renown.)
“Through these programs, thousands of job opportunities can potentially be created for our Filipino workers, particularly in health care and agriculture industries,” Cruz said. “We will continue to develop and improve our training programs for Filipinos to be equipped with the necessary skills needed in the industry, and for them to have better employment opportunities here and abroad.”
The meeting featured a dialogue on the TVET development collaboration and bridging programs between Canada and the Philippines through Tesda.
Tesda Deputy Directors General Aniceto D. Bertiz III, Tonisito Umali, Josefino Torres, Vidal Villanueva and other officials from the agency, as well as delegates from the government of Canada, witnessed the discussions.
Health Care Services National Certificate (NC) II, Caregiving (Elderly) NC II, Caregiving (Clients with Special Needs) NC II, Caregiving (Grade Schooler to Adolescent) NC II, and Emergency Medical Services NC II are among the Tesda-developed health-related courses suitable for jobs in Canada.
Training regulations on Medical Transcription NC II, Contact Tracing NC II, Dental Hygiene NC IV, Dental Laboratory Technology Services NC I, Dental Laboratory Technology Services (Fixed Dentures/Restorations) NC II, Dental Laboratory Technology Services (Removable Dentures/Appliances) NC II, and Pharmacy Services NC III are also made available.
The Canadian Embassy in the Philippines earlier announced that Saskatchewan is open to hiring hundreds of Filipino health-care workers.
Meanwhile, Tesda eyes to develop new training courses—whether full-blown Training (TR) or Competency Standards—for needed health-care technical skills and jobs that lack programs, especially those that do not require higher education.
Likewise, there are existing TRs related to health-care occupations that require review for updating to ensure the integration of standards under the post Covid-19 new normal and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.