Almost one hundred farm workers’ dependents and out-of-school youth recently finished their technical skills training in different TESDA-accredited courses from the NFSP Sugar Workers Foundation Technical Skills & Livelihood Training Center at Bacolod City.
“Graduation is not the end of your education; you still have a whole universe to learn, because education is a never-ending process. Use the skills you learned here, share them and improve on them,” said Ernesto L. Duremdes, Supervising Technical Education and Skills Development Specialist of the TESDA Negros Occidental Provincial Office, who was the guest speaker during the graduation rites.
Duremdes recalled that when he was assigned at TESDA-Kabankalan, farm workers’ dependents from that city and nearby areas were sent to study and train at the NFSP Training Center. He added that he also knew that trainees from as far as Bukidnon in Mindanao were sent to the NFSP Training Center.
“Don’t hide your skills, because they will deteriorate, and your training will be wasted. Utilize your skills in gaining employment or setting up a business to help your family and your community. At the end of the day, it will not matter where you came from. What is more important is how you improved yourself, how far you have gone, and what you did to help your family and your community,” he pointed out.
According to a press release, NFSP Vice-President Jaime G. Golez welcomed the graduating trainees, their parents and guests, and Duremdes and his staff from the TESDA Negros Occidental Provincial Office, to the NFSP Training Center.
“The NFSP Training Center, in collaboration with TESDA, has been providing technical and livelihood skills training to farm workers’ dependents and out-of-school-youth for 22 years now. It has produced numerous graduates who have become successful in their lives,” Golez said.
He disclosed that in their association, the Association of Productive Planters of Negros Occidental, one of the trainees whom the association sent to the NFSP Training Center is now the person maintaining the electrical systems in their association’s office.
“We welcome the appointment of Neg. Occ. 3rd District Rep. Francisco ‘Kiko’ Benitez as the new TESDA Director-General. Under Cong. Kiko’s leadership, we are confident that TESDA will reach farther heights in providing highly employable skills to countless youth who could not afford four-year college degrees. And we look forward to more fruitful collaboration between TESDA and sugar industry-funded training centers, such as the NFSP Training Center,” Golez added.
The NFSP training center is a brainchild of NFSP officers headed by President Enrique D. Rojas. The training center produced its first batch of graduates in February 2003. The center offers TESDA-registered courses in Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II, Computer Systems Servicing NC II and Automotive Servicing NC I.
“Since 2003, the NFSP training center has produced more than 18,000 highly-skilled graduates. Most of our graduates have found gainful employment, and a substantial number of them have even worked abroad. We are happy and proud that NFSP has contributed to the upliftment of their lives,” said Rojas.*
