By Dhel Nazario The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority - Laguna Lake Development Authority Provincial Skills Training Center (TESDA-LLDA PTC) has been inaugurated in Calauan town of Laguna, enabling residents of Laguna and nearby areas to avail themselves of skills and vocational courses. The training center which was constructed with the help of the Department of Public Works and Highways CALABARZON, sits on a two-hectare lot provided by the LLDA in Barangay Bangyas. The P88 million TESDA-LLDA PTC is equipped with the corresponding facilities for its registered programs as a TESDA Training Institution and accredited qualifications as a Competency Assessment Center, compliant to the existing promulgated Training Regulations. Before the training center in Calauan, TESDA-CALABARZON already established 10 training centers in the region. With the new facility, TESDA-CALABARZON Regional Director Elmer Talavera believes that it exhibits the agency’s commitment to its clients to provide a more comfortable environment for them. "The establishment of this PTC is part of TESDA’s continuing efforts to expand the reach of its services, especially the free technical-vocational (tech-voc) trainings, and develop more high-skilled workers in the countryside. This will provide clients more access to more quality tech-voc trainings and usher in better livelihood opportunities as well," said Talavera. As a competency assessment center, TESDA-LLDA PTC is accredited for Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC I and II, Trainer’s Methodology Level I, Bookkeeping NC III and Agroentrepreneurship NC II. Meanwhile, as a training arm of the TESDA-Laguna Provincial Office, initial training programs already available to the public including Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC I and II, and Trainer’s Methodology Level I. "When they have jobs, not only their lives will improve, but also their families and that is what we want to address," said TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña He also mentioned that TESDA-LLDA PTC offers training programs in aquaculture.