Leading China electronics giant TCL Technology Group Corp. is further establishing its commitment to workforce development in the Philippines through a new air conditioning training aimed to provide technical skills and employment opportunities.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with TCL on Thursday for the official launch of the TESDA-TCL Center, which provides more advanced Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) training for interested enrollees.
In turn, TCL has donated several air conditioning units, including four split-type air conditioner inverters and five air conditioning window-type units, among others.
“This is a part of our long-term commitment to support work-force development in the Philippines and contribute to the strong technical talent in the field of air conditioning and service,” said TCL Deputy Director of Air Conditioner and B2B Business Bert Cheung.
Cheung added that this is with regard to TCL’s commitment to innovation, which is a significant part of creating more opportunities.
These “opportunities” include the possibility that graduates of the program may be endorsed by TESDA to TCL. However, TCL Brand Manager Joseph Cernitchez clarified that not all completers will be guaranteed positions within the company.
According to TESDA Center Administrator Eugene Agcaoili, they are set to accommodate 25 students. The training period will last for a month, 8 hours a day. Once they complete the program, the graduates will get a National Certificate (NC) II.
Likewise, Cernitchez added, “The idea is that we partner with TESDA, we bring all the equipment needed, and then we bring our trainers to bring their (TESDA) trainers too.”
“We aim to provide students with more than just equipment. We are offering real work-training,” Cheung said.
Once operational, the program will be at its “phase 1” stage. Agcaoili added that the phase 2 is slated to take place after six months, which means including other technologies of TCL.
They are only focusing on air conditioning right now because it is more in-demand in the Philippines.
The program is not the first one merged by the two contracting parties. TCL partnered with TESDA in 2023 to provide its latest AAT Inverter+ Refrigerators and training materials to beneficiaries of TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs) in the National Capital Region (NCR).
