THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority offers free skills training to overseas Filipino workers who lost their jobs because of the Covid19 pandemic.

During the virtual training induction for Contact Center Services NC II at TESDA-Quezon City District Office on Wednesday, TESDA Director General Isidro Lapeña reiterated the agency’s commitment to help OFWs recover.

“Included in our ‘Oplan TESDA Abot Lahat: TVET towards the New Normal’ is to integrate and mainstream our returning OFWS here through re-skilling or upskilling,” Lapeña said in his message via Zoom Meeting.

The Contact Center Services NC II teaches participants how to interact with customers to provide information about certain products and services. It also trains them on in inbound customer service, order taking and inquiry response handling, outbound telemarketing, and how to handle customer’s complaints.

When the pandemic hit, the TESDA chief consulted OFWs to know their needs and concerns. This resulted in the formation of ‘TESDA Abot Lahat ang OFWs’, the agency’s flagship program that focuses on helping OFWs and their dependents.

Meanwhile, TESDA-CAMANAVA District Office in Navotas City launched also on Wednesday the Contact Tracing Level II Training Program which prioritizes OFWs.

TESDA-NCR Regional Director Florencio Sunico shared that TESDA-CAMANAVA has contacted more than 2,000 OFWs as possible trainees for the next batch of contact tracing training.

“We are expecting that this will help fill in the 80,000 contract tracers in the country needed by the government in its effort for the expanded contact tracing,” Lapeña said.