Fourteen automotive technicians trained by a Makati City-based facility were hired by three luxury car brands in Saudi Arabia to become part of the Kingdom’s economic recovery efforts from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The technicians completed a two-year intensive, state-of-the-art Automotive Mechatronics program with specialization in high voltage at the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center - Philippines (PTRC-PH) through an educational program of Porsche and the Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) of Makati.
The technicians will be employed at SAMACO Motors - an exclusive multi-brand dealer of luxury sports and premium performance vehicles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Seven technicians will be assigned to work for the Porsche brand, four for Audi, and four for Volkswagen.
The Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Philippines is the flagship program under the umbrella of PAVE or Porsche Aftersales Vocational Education.
“We are proud of our graduates who have taken their first step toward a wonderful career in the automotive after-sales industry. They hurdled the challenges of looking for a fitting job opportunity at an unprecedented time, in the middle of a pandemic. I am convinced the competencies they’ve acquired in the program will help them overcome the challenges that come with their role as elite vehicle specialists," PTRC-PH Program Director Katrin Azul said.
“I hope they will never stop learning new skills and adapt well to their working environment because these are essential to remaining globally competitive, standing out, and succeeding in the automotive field," she added.
An opportunity whose time has come
One of the program's graduates, Jay Manzo, shared his experience during his time in the program and how the pandemic affected his work deployment.
“Despite the limited work opportunities back then, I looked for several different jobs to make a living and become productive. But I always remained hopeful for news on possible deployment in the after-sales service,” Manzo shared.
While working as a delivery rider last year, he was invited to join a week-long recruitment process for SAMACO.
Manzo and 23 other PTRC-PH graduates participated in a series of job interviews, written exam and practical tests on vehicle parts identification, diagnosis, and repair.
“I found the tests challenging, considering that it had been a while since I applied what I learned to fix sports cars and other premium vehicles,” Manzo said.
His accomplishment comes after completing two years of automotive studies. The first ten months were spent learning the basics of the industry from DBTI mentors, and those from PTRC-PH that focused on eight learning fields.
These include maintenance and upkeep of vehicles, as well as diagnosis and repair of mechanical, electrical, and engine management systems. The coursework also involved learning about power transmission, chassis and brake, and alternative drive systems. Students, likewise, practice communication and interaction in the workplace through on-the-job training at partner dealers.
According to Manzo, studying was no walk in the park as he had to juggle it with his part-time job as a fast-food chain service crew to make both ends meet. His family setup, along with poverty, left him with little choice but to live independently by the age of 15.
His mother is a housewife, while his stepfather is a tricycle driver. There were times too when Manzo had to live with his biological father who is also mired in poverty.
While in school, Manzo’s classmates looked down on him for having insufficient resources for school work. Despite this, he felt determined to finish his studies and earn a degree.
“While studying Civil Engineering in college, a friend told me about the PTRC-PH program at Don Bosco,” he said.
“That’s when I realized the possibility of shifting to automotive and landing a better chance to work at a global company like Porsche. Plus, I really love cars, so I decided to apply and take the opportunity,” Manzo added.
For him, there was no looking back. Despite the struggles of working and studying until his graduation, he felt fulfilled knowing that he did his best in both endeavors in the best way he could.
Manzo used his personal challenges as a springboard toward success saying that he "can feel satisfied knowing I give a hundred percent effort each day.”
End-to-end support
PTRC-PH welcomes two new batches of technical vocational scholars each year and provides support from vocational education to employment. It conducted a refresher training session for its SAMACO job candidates to comprehensively prepare them for recruitment. The session helped them in recalling and strengthening work steps, processes, and procedures acquired during their vocational education journey.
"PTRC-PH remains committed to fostering close ties with our cooperation and implementation partners. Through this, we can sustainably open doors of opportunities for graduates and learners of the program," Azul explained.
PTRC-PH was established in 2008 to address the demand for highly qualified technicians in emerging markets, predominantly in the Middle East. Along with the Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati, the training and recruitment facility paved the way for young, underprivileged Filipinos to learn the ins and outs of modern automotive work.
This way, they can build a successful career in the automotive industry and a better future for themselves, their families, and communities.
The improvement of PTRC-PH’s vocational education program in 2015 enabled the expansion of its dealer network, making it possible for scholar graduates to work on other brands of the VW Group aside from Porsche.
Deep gratitude
Manzo expressed his gratitude to the vocational education program, which brought positive changes to his life.
“(It) opened work opportunities for people like me, who once felt that most automotive companies only favor highly-experienced technicians.”
Getting employed overseas brings mixed feelings to recently hired technicians like Manzo. In 2023, they are set to jumpstart a career in a country with an entirely different culture from theirs, interacting with people of diverse stories, backgrounds, and concerns.
Fortunately, their various learning experiences at PTRC-PH prepared them to master the challenges of both technical work and people as well as customer relations.