Low-skilled workers learn to secure their future

Dubai: Noregen Villanueva has two reasons to hope for a better future as an overseas worker.

The 27-year-old housemaid, who works in Dubai, has just completed two training courses — with flying colours — so she can upgrade her skills and look for better job opportunities.

Villanueva has been working in Dubai for the past two years. She is among the first batch of graduates of the free ‘Training Courses for Overseas Filipinos’ at the Philippine labour office. The training is part of the Department of Labour and Employment’s programme to enhance the competitiveness of low-skilled Filipinos overseas.

“I was looking for a training course that would boost my self-esteem. People always look down on us because we’re maids [even though there’s nothing wrong with being one]. I couldn’t work elsewhere because I only finished high school. So now, I wanted to do something that I could be proud of,” Villanueva told Gulf News.

Villanueva and 59 other candidates graduated on Friday after completing training courses in basic computer operations systems, basic massage therapy and reflexology, basic sewing and dressmaking and commercial food business.

The candidates are currently working as maids, cleaners, butchers, beauticians, nannies and bus cleaning supervisors in Dubai. Around 14 of then are distressed Filipinos due for reintegration to the Philippines in the coming weeks.

In all, there were 67 graduates because seven candidates, like Villanueva, took up two courses at a time.

Graduating as one of the outstanding trainees, Villanueva said the training was a worthwhile sacrifice.

“I really studied hard. I gave my best because I didn’t want to lag behind my classmates,” Villanueva said with a giggle.

“This is a good opportunity because at least we can have opportunities to learn and earn extra cash.”

For Holiday Paundog, 31, who works as a cleaner in Deira, her new feat is the realisation of a dream.

“I studied computer science when I was in the Philippines, but I never got the chance to finish it,” Paundog said.

“After my contract, I will look for a new job. I’m happy because I achieved something. I’m proud of myself because I was able to finish a course even if that meant I had to sacrifice my days off. I had no rest for a month but I am hopeful it would pay off,” she added.

The ‘upskilling programme’ is a month-long training course that takes places at the labour office every Friday. It was opened to the Filipino public in Dubai in October.

“We train wards [distressed Filipinos] for their reintegration. But when we invited the public to enrol in the training courses in October, many people responded. We hope that the graduates would be able to use their new skills and that this would help them succeed in their chosen fields,” Assistant Labour Attache Venus Abad told Gulf News.

Villanueva has not yet decided on what to do next after graduation. But if opportunity knocks, shying away from it is the last thing in her mind.

“I dream to work in an office setting or maybe in a spa. I want to be able to achieve something for me, for my future.”