Dualtech's Few Good Men

7/2/2009

Often we fail to recognize the huge majority of our partners in the construction industry, the construction workers. At groundbreaking ceremonies, project launchings, or house blessings, you do not see the work crew in the photos but, for a fact, just a few hours before the festivities, they were on the same spot getting things ready. These are the people behind the scenes. Each one’s job, if done well, is just as important as the other.

Most workers learn on the job but formal training would give them an edge and the necessary credentials. It could make it easier for them to land good jobs and earn a good honest living. Training also minimizes the chances for errors and accidents in the workplace, promoting a timely and effective completion of the project.

The good news is that there are organizations that try to look after the welfare and development of the skilled workers, at least in the manner of training and formation. Yes, training and formation must go hand in hand to ensure not just the mastery of a specialized skill, but also the attitude to and view of one’s role in a greater undertaking. Dualtech is one such organization with the goal of developing properly trained and oriented workers.

Dualtech Center is a professional technical-vocational school of Dualtech Training Center Foundation, Inc. (DTCFI), a private non-profit institution which started in 1985 as a social development project. It extends vocational education to qualified persons from the less privileged classes, adapting the German Dual Training System to Philippine conditions.

Programs include classroom and in-plant training for welders, mechanics, and air conditioning technicians, among other technical diploma courses. Enrolment happens year round; it is not like a formal school wherein everyone has to start and end at a certain date.

Property development provides many openings for human resources. But naturally developers and contractors would much prefer to hire accredited workers. According to Arnolfo Morfe, Executive Director and Trustee of Dualtech, although their training courses were initially meant to support maintenance and operation chores in plants or factories they likewise have some skills training programs useful to construction and property development, such as welding and wiring techniques. To be even more relevant to the construction sector, he sees the need to sit down together with people involved and discuss ways in which training intervention can be made viable. If there are interested property development firms or even building administration companies willing to partner with them or contribute to the sustenance of manpower development goals as their way of fulfilling their corporate social responsibility, the center is always ready to draw up specific programs for their requirements.

He proudly claims that their graduates, after several years of working experience, are hired by property development firms in the Middle East. A lucky few land jobs in tourist resorts and ocean cruise ships. A majority are readily hired by their partner firms, such Fujitsu Ten, the Honda Group, Nestlé, Lufthansa Technik Philippines, Temic Group, Coca-Cola, and Unilab.

Some critics might say that due to the limited output of Dualtech, it would hardly make an impact on the construction industry. However, the graduates can take pride in their certified abilities and proceed in their careers with more confidence. It likewise matters to the companies that are fortunate enough to employ these "few good men" who are set to make a difference in their work place. Hopefully their numbers would grow soon.