Twitter: @edd1819, Instagram: @bluestar0910, Facebook: SDN — Science, Digital & Current Affairs
By EDD K. USMAN
TAGUIG CITY — HERE’s good news for over 80 million people, especially if they want to learn new skills without incurring phone charges.
And free is free, the courses and data connectivity — no worries.
Can you beat that? Most likely, “nyet.”
The offer comes from Globe Telecommunications which will provide the data connectivity — again, at no cost to subscribers of Globe and TM.
Eligible to avail themselves of the opportunity are Globe’s more than 80 million subscribers.
On the other hand, the skills courses are from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through the TESDA Online Program, or TOP.
Consider that previous TESDA surveys showed that even college graduates or college students were taking technical vocational (tech-voc) skills training. Even those who are already employed, among them from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want to learn new skills and be more competitive in the local and international job markets.
What is TOP if not a vehicle to employment
TOP is an open educational resource that aims to make technical vocational education and training (TVET) more accessible to Filipino citizens and widen their chances of employment or sources of livelihood.
Among TOP’s online course offerings are Computer Systems Servicing National Certificate (NC) II, Food Processing NC II, Bread and Pastry NC II, Housekeeping NC II. It also offers other courses from sectors such as automotive, agriculture, entrepreneurship, healthcare, among others.
A boon in the time of pandemic
Thus, subscribers of Globe and TM may now be able to sharpen their technical skills or learn more online while staying at home without worrying about data connectivity cost.
Through Globe and the TESDA’s timely partnership, all Globe and TM subscribers are given free data access to TOP at https://www.e-tesda.gov.ph/.
The two partners’ offering kicked off on August 10, 2020.
Those who think learning new skills are their cup of tea, they can visit the site anytime they want using their Globe- or TM-powered mobile device even without load and without incurring any data charges.
Gratitude, rightly, for Globe
TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña expressed his gratitude to Globe for helping TESDA reach more Filipinos in need of the agency’s services.
“We are glad to have this opportunity of serving more Filipinos in line with our guiding principle, ‘TESDA Abot Lahat’. Now, our services can reach even our kababayan whohave no access to the internet or mobile data. Indeed, this is a very special milestone,” he said.
Meanwhile, Globe’s Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications Yoli Crisanto noted that over 80 million Globe and TM subscribers can get equal opportunity to further better themselves by making TESDA’s online courses more accessible through free data.
“With the uncertainties that we are facing, we need to be prepared to take on new challenges, making it important to continuously learn and explore new ways of doing things. By making TESDA’s online courses more accessible through free data, our Globe and TM customers will have another opportunity to improve their skills,” she said.
Earlier, Globe also provided free data access to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) online learning platform called DepEd Commons, to encourage educators and learners to take advantage of supplementary online instructional materials.
It contains online review materials and Open Educational Resources authored by public school teachers who are subject matter experts. Teachers can retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute the content by blending it with a learning management system to deliver a distance learning modality. (✓)
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*Free access does not cover the materials, courses and other resources that may be accessed through links outside the TOP website such as videos uploaded on video sharing platforms and courses and links by partners and other organizations.