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TESDA Sets up Finishing Schools for Call Center Personnel
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General August Syjuco Jr. describes the policy as “the necessity and urgency for government through TESDA to empower and enable the private training providers to handle the quality-assured delivery of BPO skills development services.” He said “the idea is the belief that the future of the Philippines lies in its ability to create a better BPO-ready talent pool in the country that will cater to the needs of leading global corporations looking to tap into the advantages of outsourcing.” He said the government, through TESDA, is launching President Arroyo’s “training-for-work project” for the call center industry, revenues of which rose from US$24 million in 2000 to US$1.7 billion last year. The project’s major component is a scholarship program funded by a PhP500-million budget from the government’s pump-priming fund which, according to Syjuco, will benefit some 100,000 new workers in the BPO and call center industry. “This job-generating project will ensure zero wastage of resources as the training programs are directly linked with existing demand and participants have been pre-qualified for the job,” Syjuco said. He said there is no age limitation on people wishing to avail of the training program. Even retirees and jeepney drivers can avail of the program provided they possess good communication skills. The total work force of the industry—described by Syjuco as the “industry of the future”—was projected to increase by 27.6 percent from 244,675 this year to 920,764 in 2010, while revenues were estimated to jump from US$3.6 million to US$12.2 million during the same five-year period. Syjuco said there were only four call centers operating in the country in 2000 against 105 in 2005. The number of call center employees rose from 2,400 to 112,000 during the same period. “Indeed, no one can argue with success and no force can set aside an idea whose time has come.” *
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