TESDA, Microsoft to offer new IT certification project

By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will pursue a new IT certification project with Microsoft Philippines.

Called HEdStart Lite (HE referring to Higher Education), the project aims to provide fundamental training on Microsoft applications, particularly .Net, ASP and C#, totaling six units.

HEdStart Lite is a modular version of Microsoft's previous HEdStart program with the Commission on Higher Education last year.

The one with CHED is more expansive with 12 units of .Net training. It was pilot tested just last year with Mapua Institute of Technology, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the College of Saint Benilde.

CHED and TESDA have an existing joint technical and vocational modular program that allows students to continue taking undergraduate degree courses from TESDA-accredited tech-voc courses.

In an interview, Microsoft Philippines Academic Programs Manager Michelle Casio said HEdStart Lite will be pilot tested at the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies, CAP College and Info Tech Institute of Arts and Sciences. In each of the pilot schools, Microsoft Philippines will train two faculty members.

Recipients of HEdStart and HEdStart Lite will also be introduced to Microsoft IT Academy, a worldwide academic institution training program that provides member schools with software licenses, training modules and textbooks on Microsoft products.

Casio said the recipients of their program will be given the HEdStart materials for free for one year.

"Demand for .Net programmers is increasing both locally and worldwide and this is one way to contribute to the talent pool," she said.