TP, TESDA Launch Training Program for Work-Ready Mear-Hires

Negros Occidental, Philippines – TP in the Philippines, a global leader in digital business services, was recently recognized as one of the pioneering enterprises in Negros Occidental to register as partner in Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET), a flagship program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). 

With the implementation of the EBET Framework, TESDA aims to strengthen workforce development through enhanced skills training, improve employability, and bridge the gap between the education sector and the IT-BPM industry.

As an enterprise partner, TP will help implement the Near-Hire Communication Training Program. This 10-day, TESDA-accredited course is designed to develop work-ready communication skills for near-hires, equipping them for potential careers within the organization. This initiative also supports TESDA’s drive to expand university-industry collaboration, ensuring that Filipino workers are trained with skills that meet global market demands.

The training program’s curriculum features two modules: “Communication 101” and “Call Center 101.” The first module focuses on technical articulation—including pronunciation, grammar, thought organization, and conversational confidence—while the second primes students for the specific contact center environment.  The curriculum immerses them in the practical realities of the customer service experience such as call flows, scripting, active listening, empathy, and problem-solving.

Graduates of the program will emerge work-ready and equipped with the practical skills and confidence needed to succeed in the country’s fast-growing customer service sector.

“This program goes beyond skills training, giving students a tangible gateway as they step into meaningful careers in the IT-BPM industry,” said Jeffrey Johnson, Chief People Officer of TP in the Philippines.

TESDA likewise underscored the importance of this partnership. “By registering programs under EBET, you are ensuring that our trainees are not only competent, but also industry-ready. Enterprises can now dictate what skills and competences they need, and TESDA now needs to respond as flexibly and quickly as we possibly can to be able to respond to a volatile, complex, and ambiguous world of work. TP’s commitment makes it possible for our learners to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real demands of the workplace,” said TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez.

“Through this program, we are able to see the EBET in motion, and we are grateful to our partners for helping make our vision of an empowered work-ready youth come to life,” added Niña Connie Dodd, TESDA Negros Island Region (NIR) Interim Regional Director.

The Near-Hire Communication Training Program, among other initiatives, reaffirms TP in the Philippines’ commitment to workforce development and talent empowerment, upholding its position as one of the country’s top employers. By working hand-in-hand with TESDA and Bacolod City College, TP demonstrates the power of industry, government, and academe collaboration in opening career pathways for the youth and building stronger local communities. 

A Heritage of Giving

The history of Negros Occidental is replete with occasions to help fellowmen. What may have started as a logical act of a farm owner taking care of a farm worker has, in time, rooted itself to a psyche that leans to help wherever possible. This holiday month, the Negros Season of Culture brings to the center of celebrations the works of NGOs whose missions have become modern-day conduits of this heritage of giving.

O Senyor Tagbalay!

We welcome good tidings with a reenactment in song of the story of the birth of Christ. In Hiligaynon musical tradition, the daigon or caroling opens with the song, O Senyor Tagbalay!, echoing Joseph’s plea for a room for Mary. Against the majestic façade of the Provincial Capitol of Negros Occidental, the singers of the De La Salle Chorale lend their voices to beseech all to open their doors to love and the Christ child. Joining the chorale are singers from Kalipay Negrense Foundation and Suntown Camp Foundation. Suntown comforts children with cancer and serious illnesses. Kalipay is a home for abused and abandoned children. We hope you think of them this Christmas.

Making Artisans of Hope

In recent years, our Christmas trees have been decked less with imported stuff and replaced with ornaments created by a group of homegrown handicraft artists. Their works are boldly artistic, intent on wooing shoppers and giving artists a chance at sustainable livelihood, while helping fund feeding and educational programs. Trained and encouraged by the Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation, these “artisans of hope” mirror our collective mission to give, in turn making all of us creators of hope for others who have none. See what Santa’s elves have been busy with in Making Artisans of Hope.

Kusinera Diaries

Often we forget who puts the “happy” to our New Year’s celebration. Not this time. As we approach 2023, we celebrate one particular person who has been part of our heritage, from the kitchens of our old hacienda homes to the kitchens of our modern subdivision dwellings. Kusinera Diaries is a three-part documentary giving tribute to one of the most influential characters in the traditional home of the Negrense, the cook. For sure, this story is also about favorite holiday family food. But more significantly, we recognize the contributions and the place of the kusinera in our kitchens. Many of them have given all of their productive years to us. Many more have foregone marriage to devote their time to our families. And so, meet Dhalia, Alicia, and Dominga. Let them take you to a Happy New Year.

Text By: Alan Gensoli
Photos By: Unit A Creatives and Bem Cortez