TESDA Women's Center among 10 global pilot skills projects
Published Sep 25, 2019 08:14 pm
By Dhel Nazario
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization-International Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC) has selected the TESDA Women’s Center (TWC) as one of the three pilot institutions for the Skills for Innovation Hubs (i-hubs) project in the Asia-Pacific, landing a spot among 10 pilot i-hubs centers around the world.
TESDA Director General, Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña
(TESDA / FILE PHOTO MANILA BULLETIN) The i-hubs project, which was launched last March in Bonn, Germany recognized the TWC for its proven experience and commitment to innovation especially in the sectors of entrepreneurship, digitalization, and greening. The TWC is among 10 pilot i-hubs selected which includes the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) in Kenya (Eastern Africa), Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) in Seychelles (Eastern Africa), Yaba College of Technology in Nigeria (West Africa), Shenzhen Polytechnic in China (East and Southeast Asia), University of Vocational Technology (UNIVOTEC) in Sri Lanka (Southern Asia), Omnia – The Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo Region in Finland (Europe), Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) in Malta (Europe), Tknika – the Institute for the Innovation of the Vocational and Educational Training System in Spain (Europe), and BKAL – Berufskolleg an der Lindenstraße in Germany (Europe) As an i-hub pilot center, the TWC forged an Innovation Action Plan during the Innovation Hubs Guided Self-Assessment (GSA) workshop which started on September 23 and will last until September 27. TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña had earlier reiterated the role of GSA in further enhancing the learning and professional development of scholars in support to TESDA’s mandate to provide up-to-date skills training to enable more Filipinos to uplift their quality of life. “I strongly believe that by applying the i-hubs innovation framework of UNESCO-UNEVOC, TESDA can further address the emerging issues and competency requirements in both domestic and global labor markets and industries in this age of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). By transforming the TESDA Women’s Center into a TVET Innovation Hub, I am confident that it will produce a greater number of skilled professionals who are more productive, empowered and innovative,” Lapeña said. The GSA was guided by representatives from the UNESCO-UNEVOC and will have Omnia – The Joint Authority of the Espoo Region in Finland, as Peer Reviewers. According to UNESCO-UNEVOC, the i-hubs project is an exercise in co-development to “maximize the innovation potential of TVET institutions as drivers of employability, economic growth and inclusive social development.” The overall goal of the i-hubs project is to develop an enabling framework for transforming TVET institutions to become “drivers of innovation, social inclusion and entrepreneurial culture” through the collective experiences and lessons drawn from the 10 pilot i-hubs institutions identified by UNESCO-UNEVOC. “I am also optimistic that after TWC shares the results of the Guided Self-Assessment, other TVET institutions will be able to adapt and build their own capacity for innovation,” Lapeña added. The TWC serves as the leading TVET institution in the Philippines in pursuit of excellence in empowering Filipino women through gender mainstreaming. The center also conducts a Semi-Annual Jobs Fair and Stakeholder's Forum to engage the industries in enhancing TWC's curriculum and training/learning methodologies and activities. In addition to UNESCO-UNEVOC and Omnia, the TWC also welcomes the TWC Center Advisory Council, including external partners such as the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC), Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., the Aboitiz Foundation and Pilmico Foods Corporation to participate in the High Level Seminar which is part of the GSA Program.
TESDA Director General, Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña(TESDA / FILE PHOTO MANILA BULLETIN) The i-hubs project, which was launched last March in Bonn, Germany recognized the TWC for its proven experience and commitment to innovation especially in the sectors of entrepreneurship, digitalization, and greening. The TWC is among 10 pilot i-hubs selected which includes the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) in Kenya (Eastern Africa), Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) in Seychelles (Eastern Africa), Yaba College of Technology in Nigeria (West Africa), Shenzhen Polytechnic in China (East and Southeast Asia), University of Vocational Technology (UNIVOTEC) in Sri Lanka (Southern Asia), Omnia – The Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo Region in Finland (Europe), Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) in Malta (Europe), Tknika – the Institute for the Innovation of the Vocational and Educational Training System in Spain (Europe), and BKAL – Berufskolleg an der Lindenstraße in Germany (Europe) As an i-hub pilot center, the TWC forged an Innovation Action Plan during the Innovation Hubs Guided Self-Assessment (GSA) workshop which started on September 23 and will last until September 27. TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña had earlier reiterated the role of GSA in further enhancing the learning and professional development of scholars in support to TESDA’s mandate to provide up-to-date skills training to enable more Filipinos to uplift their quality of life. “I strongly believe that by applying the i-hubs innovation framework of UNESCO-UNEVOC, TESDA can further address the emerging issues and competency requirements in both domestic and global labor markets and industries in this age of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). By transforming the TESDA Women’s Center into a TVET Innovation Hub, I am confident that it will produce a greater number of skilled professionals who are more productive, empowered and innovative,” Lapeña said. The GSA was guided by representatives from the UNESCO-UNEVOC and will have Omnia – The Joint Authority of the Espoo Region in Finland, as Peer Reviewers. According to UNESCO-UNEVOC, the i-hubs project is an exercise in co-development to “maximize the innovation potential of TVET institutions as drivers of employability, economic growth and inclusive social development.” The overall goal of the i-hubs project is to develop an enabling framework for transforming TVET institutions to become “drivers of innovation, social inclusion and entrepreneurial culture” through the collective experiences and lessons drawn from the 10 pilot i-hubs institutions identified by UNESCO-UNEVOC. “I am also optimistic that after TWC shares the results of the Guided Self-Assessment, other TVET institutions will be able to adapt and build their own capacity for innovation,” Lapeña added. The TWC serves as the leading TVET institution in the Philippines in pursuit of excellence in empowering Filipino women through gender mainstreaming. The center also conducts a Semi-Annual Jobs Fair and Stakeholder's Forum to engage the industries in enhancing TWC's curriculum and training/learning methodologies and activities. In addition to UNESCO-UNEVOC and Omnia, the TWC also welcomes the TWC Center Advisory Council, including external partners such as the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC), Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., the Aboitiz Foundation and Pilmico Foods Corporation to participate in the High Level Seminar which is part of the GSA Program.