Education: A Ladder of an Opportunity or An Investment of a Lifetime?

If we are to closely look at the mandate of TESDA, we can categorically conclude that there isn't any diversion from its intended provisions if it will develop trainings for call centers.

There is no question to the relevance of the call center training with regards to the industry's booming potential and growing needs. Their slogan says: "Seek the jobs, find the people, and train the right people." Definitely, jobs can be found in the BPO industry and the right people can be found here in the Philippines.

However, if we consider carefully the qualities of call center agents posted in the website of TESDA, we can infer that these so-called "specialized skills" can actually be taught and learned in elementary and high schools.

There is nothing really wrong with holding call center trainings for our middle level manpower to make them responsive to the relevant and emerging industries. However, the move to do so creates a massive misconception on the value and reason why we are acquiring education. Is it an instant qualification so one could immediately grab up any opportunity presented to him? Or is it a lifetime discipline, preparing anyone for any opportunity that may come his way?

Majority of our middle level manpower are actually degree holders. And if they are not, it is nevertheless an ideal that a high school graduate already possesses good communication and listening skills in the English language and is computer literate. Why not the budget for call center trainings be channeled to better the program of instruction in elementary and high school levels? Providing call center trainings becomes, again, a quick remedy to the true ills of our educational system.

However, you may ask: What shall we do with the millions of unemployed Filipinos then? We could send them back to schools (where the budget for the call center trainings will be channeled in opening more classes, paying school teachers, and developing programs of instruction in communication and computer skills) or we could be contented with a manpower that races after the current industry trend, which, in the near future, could probably be garbage engineering. Then, we could always count on TESDA to provide us with skills for that industry.