Mobile Skills Training Shifts to Cebu Construction Sector
Firing up Skills in Remote Communities: Mobile Training Centers Revolutionize Construction Education in the Philippines
In a groundbreaking move to empower the countrys underprivileged regions, business leaders and contractors in Cebu are teaming up with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to deploy mobile training centers across rural areas. This ambitious initiative, launched during "PhilConstruct Visayas 2025," seeks to address the chronic labor mismatch plaguing the Philippine construction sector.
From masonry to plumbing, painting, welding, and electrical installation, these fully equipped, modular facilities will offer training in high-demand trades. Armed with certified trainers and Tesda-aligned curricula, theyll journey to far-flung municipalities where employment opportunities are scarce due to the lack of accessible training. Engineer Rizalito Casinilio, chairman of CEO Forum Event at the PhilConstruct Visayas 2025, puts it simply, "Were bringing the training to them."
As highlighted by Bernard Vonn Sia, an engineer and chairman of PhilConstruct Visayas 2025, the labor market is in desperate need of balance. Thousands of unemployed youth coexist with a growing shortage of skilled labor. Firms are actively hiring, but they cant find workers with the right qualifications, Sia explains.
The mobile centers are slated to arrive in several towns by late 2025, focusing on areas with high youth unemployment and minimal access to vocational training. Stakeholders stress the projects sustainability due to the strong, immediate demand from employers. Many contractors are ready to hire, but hesitant to train workers who may not meet their standards, Sia noted.
The partnership between Tesda, contractors, and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which boasts over 150 members in the Cebu Contractors Association and nearly 1,000 firms under the chamber, is crucial in creating a reliable employment pathway for trainees. This historic collaboration reflects a growing recognition of the need for localized, targeted, and market-responsive skills development in the construction sector, poised for growth amid renewed infrastructure spending.
Officials believe the mobile training centers will not only serve as workforce solutions but also catalyze inclusive economic development in provinces that have lagged in the countrys industrial push. Casinilio adds, "This is about access and opportunity. If a barangay captain can gather 50 young people in Balamban who are ready to be trained, then well bring the classroom to them."
If successful, this initiative could pave the way for a nationwide replication model as the Philippine construction sector gears up for expansion.
Tesdas involvement in large-scale upskilling initiatives, including the utilization of AI-powered, mobile-first Learning Management Systems (LMS) for digital and mobile learning platforms, could be key to delivering effective construction skills training. Leveraging such cutting-edge technology in mobile training centers could revolutionize access to vocational education and training for rural and underserved communities in the Philippines.
