Tesda scholarship program questioned

THE soundness of LaPIMa’s scholarship program in which the beneficiaries are sent for skills training at Tesda has been questioned, especially on their chance at the job market.

In email sent to Sam Tatom, LaPIMa secretary, retired mining engineer Tony Tatom has asked:  “After graduation from Tesda and spending P12,000 per scholar for three months, is there an available job waiting for them? Or will they just be one of those queuing in the long line of job seekers?

Tatom with grandchild Rica Tatom Camus

“If they cannot land a job and would just be back from where they started, all our efforts and financial assistance would be in vain … all we did can be viewed as just ‘pogi points’.

“Does the organization (LaPIMa) take the burden of finding them a place to work after graduation by talking to companies we know of, or absorbing some of them if we have one?

“How do we help them find a job? What strategy do we take?” Tatom asked.

He said that maybe, if PIM was still operating, jobs for these scholars would not be that difficult.

Replying, the LaPIMa secretary, reminded his brother Tony that when he graduated from Mapua as mining engineer, “there was no ready job for you … your perseverance and hard work to find a job and a better future has finally brought you were you are now after many years of work.”

Tatom has assured the Tesda scholarship sponsors that “LaPIMa will not spoon feed the deserving/hardworking scholars after graduation”.

He said they will try to help them find jobs “in a limited capacity”.

On the other hand, LaPIMa will “provide a Mambulaoan the potential strength to face his challenges through education” and that “we will be overdoing it if there is a need to bring him to where he should be.

“This is why the (LaPIMa) committee has to select a deserving candidate who has that drive – forceful, confident and needs less help.”

Tatom has proudly announced that four scholars will graduate this month.

He said that the LaPIMa core group will meet to evaluate the program and determine the next move to boost the project.

Eng Tatom, a Mambulaoan who did not study at JPHS, has recently retired and is now holidaying in New Zealand with his daughter’s family.