THE HOUSE Committees on Higher Education and Technical Education and Appropriations have approved a measure establishing a manpower training and youth center in Barangay Gulod, Quezon City.

The committees approved House Bill 7358 in substitution of House Bill 3934 or the proposed Ba-rangay Gulod, Quezon City TESDA Training and Assessment Center Act.

Based on the measure authored by Representatives Alfred Vargas, Mark Go, and Eric Go Yap, Quezon City TESDA Training and Assessment Center shall primarily provide technical-vocational education training programs to students and local residents from low-income families and out-of-school youths, including persons with disabilities and indigenous people.

The center shall also provide effective employment interventions through training programs on relevant skills in trade competencies, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship activities.

The bill aims to hasten the development of Barangay Gulod, the neighboring barangays in Que-zon City, and the adjacent localities in National Capital Region into human resource and produc-tivity hubs.

The center will also provide technical-vocational training for teachers and curriculum design as-sistance to the secondary schools offering the technical-vocational livelihood track under the K to 12 Program, in coordination with the Department of Education and TESDA.

The measure also encourages the center to establish research and technology hubs, technology development farms, satellite or extension training centers; promote mobile training programs; and strengthen linkages among the industry partners, academe, and the center.