TACLOBAN CITY - The Office of the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA-8) in the region assures that manpower wise, Leyte can already provide sufficient manpower support for expansion projects and new players in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, particularly the call centers.
According to TESDA-8’s Eliseo Padagdag, the focal person of PGMA’s Training for Work Scholarship Program, TESDA has already produced from 400 to 500 qualified call center graduates who availed of the call center training under the said program.
He said this number of graduates can already be a good workforce for an initial call center investment in the area, citing the number is still bound to increase with call center trainings still undergoing.
Under the Training for Work Scholarship Program launched by TESDA, graduates may undergo and complete a specific number of hours of training and can then be referred to work in existing companies in and outside the region.
The training has been undertaken in partnership with premiere computer and information schools in the region such as AMA Computer College, STI in Ormoc City and other such schools in the cities of Maasin and Calbayog.
These institutions have continually conducted call center trainings during the past months and have produced graduates ready for hiring by call center industries.
Meanwhile, the provincial government of Leyte earlier disclosed that it is continuously inviting more investors at the 6.8 hectare Leyte Information and Communication Technology Park at the Government Center in Palo.
The provincial government is offering incentive package includes a 4-year tax holiday, lower power rates and simplified export and import procedures.
Two major telephone companies, BayanTel and Globelines, which utilize state-of-the art telecommunication facilities, also operate in the province with a fully digital fiber optic network and offers dedicated domestic and international leased line circuits for voice and data transmission, frame relay services, internet access, and other managed data services like Centrex call features and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).
It can be recalled that the plan to locate of the first call center at the Leyte ICT Park was temporarily shelved last year as the workforce here is wanting in qualified applicants who can supply the rapid ramp up of call center hiring.
