Tesda eyes more foreign language courses

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) plans to add more foreign language training courses to improve the competitive edge of Filipino workers locally and abroad.

The proposed languages include Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Italian and French.

Tesda Officer in Charge Deputy Director-General Rosanna Urdaneta said the new courses will boost the offerings of the National Skills Language Center (NLSC).

The center already has courses on English Proficiency for Customer Service Workers, Japanese Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture Level 2, and Spanish Language for Different Vocations.

In 2021, the NLSC produced 1,148 graduates — 508 of which finished English Proficiency for Customer Service Workers; 450 in Japanese Language and Culture; and 190 in Spanish Language for Different Vocations.

"As we continue to respond to the demands of our workers, we shall soon be offering various language courses in partnership with foreign embassies and other interested international organizations," Urdaneta said.

She said that language courses help Filipino workers easily adapt to a host country's language and culture.

Tesda Deputy Director-General for Operations Aniceto Bertiz 3rd said the NLSC has projects and programs in the pipeline designed to strengthen the delivery of language skills training to Filipino workers.

"[We] will continue to implement and improve its programs and services designed to improve the language skills of Filipino workers here and abroad in line with the new Marcos administration's priority agenda," Bertiz said.

In his inaugural address, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of improving the language skills of Filipino workers so they could not only survive but thrive overseas.

Source: TheManila Times