Aircon, refrigerator repair course a smash hit among OFWs

The ongoing Domestic Refrigeration and Aircon Mechanic training course is a huge hit among male Filipino workers on island, according to labor representative Carmelina Velasquez.

The course is held every Saturday from Sept. 3 to Oct. 8, 2pm to 5pm, at the Filipino Workers Resource Center on the ground floor of Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe.

Velasquez disclosed that when they opened the registration for the course, so many people wanted to sign up that they had to limit the number to the first 70 registrants.

“There were a lot of interested Filipinos who wanted to learn so we just encouraged the others to sign up on the second batch of the course which is scheduled on the last quarter of 2011,” she said

The training is being handled by aircon technician James Abuy, who works at Pacific Islands Club.

According to Velasquez, when they asked students why they want to learn this particular skill, most of them responded that they could use it to repair their own air conditioning units and refrigerators and save themselves money.

“Actually, it’s not only for their personal use. They also said that they could use the training to do part-time jobs and earn extra income for themselves and their families,” Velasquez told Saipan Tribune.

The labor representative noted that the Domestic Refrigeration and Aircon Mechanic course also comes with a three-hour business management seminar to be conducted by Jun Banadera on the last day of the training.

Velasquez said that providing training to Filipino workers in the CNMI that they could eventually use as a means to earn livelihood is in line with the Philippine government’s reintegration advocacy.

“What we really want for Filipino workers is for them to become entrepreneurs and have their own businesses eventually,” she said.

Computer class

According to Velasquez, the Basic Computer Operations class is another in-demand course for many Filipinos on island.

She said many of the students in the computer class are mature Filipino workers who are not yet familiar with computer technology and would like to be trained so they could communicate with their families back home through the Internet.

The ongoing Basic Computer Operations class, which will conclude on Sept. 25, has over 50 enrollees, said Velasquez.

“Although our PC units are limited, we ask them to bring laptops so everybody will have hands-on training. We’re very pleased about our Filipino workers’ resolve to learn and help themselves,” added Velasquez.