DTI-7’s Arbon urges workers, youth to continue to develop skills

Arbon | Irene R. Sino Cruz

CEBU CITY—The future of work requires constant learning among workers to remain relevant in the coming years.

With this, Nanette Arbon, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Central Visayas assistant regional director, called on the youth and workers to continue to improve on their skills as well as learn new skills.

Arbon spoke during the opening of the Regional Skills Competition organized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority  (Tesda) held Wednesday morning at the agency’s regional office.

“The skills that you have today will be obsolete two years from now,” she said when she spoke during the opening of the 2019 Regional Skills competition.

According to Arbon, the skills needed today would not be skills needed two years from now.

Because of this, she emphasized the need for continuous learning.

“We should continue to keep abreast of technology. We continue to develop our skills, whether it’s an initiative of the company or personal initiative,” she said.

Arbon also cited the need for more of students going into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) strand.

“We need to strengthen the role of academe, especially with fast changing technology,” Arbon said.

She also noted that the mismatch of skills and job remains even as she lauded TESDA-7 for including the trade areas on graphic design technology, information network cabling, IT network system administration, IT software solutions for business, web design and development and internet of things.

However, she also noted that the strength of the Filipino workers include the people skills, such as empathy, among others. 

Arbon said the people skills were what made Filipino workers different from other nationalities./dbs