The Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) is set to be the first government-run micro-credentials and certification institution for emerging IT-related jobs in Negros Island.
This came after the provincial government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Manila-based international certification hub East West International Educational Specialists Inc., at the governor’s office at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Monday, Oct. 28.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and EWIES President Dennis Franco Layug signed the MOU to implement micro-credentials and certification programs for upskilling and re-tooling individuals.
The signing was also attended by Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz and NOLITC Administrator Ma. Cristina Orbecido.
Orbecido said that more than 30 certifications will be available for Negrenses in the fields like data science, data analytics, and even for Microsoft Office specialist.
“These are emerging courses that were not offered in Negros which are already in demand in the IT industry”, Orbecido said, adding that these micro-credentials have minimum costs compared to online courses.
NOLITC will serve as the venue for these micro-credentials while EWIES will provide certifications which are accepted internationally.
“We need to scale up our training services in NOLITC for us to produce more globally competitive Negrenses adaptive to the emerging professions relating to IT and AI”, Orbecido said.
Next year, they will start the micro-credentials program where interested students and professionals can enroll and immediately start their training, she added.*