PASIG CITY, May 6 (PIA) -- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director General Aniceto “John” Bertiz III has pushed for a training program to make Filipino virtual assistants (VAs) globally competitive.
Bertiz, a former lawmaker, made the proposal in response to the growing demand for Filipino virtual assistants among companies here and abroad due to the adaption to the “new normal” brought by the pandemic.
“As the world adapts to the new normal precipitated by the global pandemic, there has been a growing demand for VAs among companies here and abroad,” he said.
“This demand for VAs around the world opens up an opportunity for skilled Filipino workers, many of whom are considered freelancers while others are hired by virtual assistant companies based in US and Canada with branches here in the Philippines,” he added.
Businesses are expected to double down on new technologies and remote work will rise to 300 percent. The Philippine outsourcing services are expected to cover 15 percent of the total global outsourcing market by 2022.
Since 2003, the Philippines’ outsourcing industry has maintained its impressive 20 percent annual growth rate largely due to the ability of Filipinos to consistently produce world-class products and services.
Bertiz, however, pointed out that despite the growing demand of Filipino VAs abroad, there is a little attention given to providing adequate training for them.
“Sadly, there is only one training school for VAs in the country, which offers online courses, such as social media management, digital marketing course, SEO, online booking, among many others,” he said.
“As many companies and businesses are struggling to stay afloat and facing the hurdles in paying establishment rentals and huge operational costs, there is a need for the government to come up with a special training program for certified virtual assistants,” he added.
Bertiz said he will push for a training program tailor-fit for Filipino VAs based on a specific industry and skills set required and/or currently in-demand by a company, stakeholders, and industry partners in local and overseas.
Filipino VAs are the most preferred and in-demand hard skills in foreign countries, such as Australia, China, Canada, Eastern Europe, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Germany. (PIA NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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