Visually impaired persons were taught the skills needed to work in call centers in the pilot implementation of a four-day skills training project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in partnership with NODA Software Philippines Inc. and People Sparx Inc.

The “Call Center Training for Persons with Visual Impairment” was held from May 25 to 29, 2015 at the DSWD Knowledge Exchange Center (KEC), with five members from the Philippine Blind Union (PBU) and Resources for the Blind Inc. (RBI) as initial participants.

The participants were trained on organizational and communication skills such as customer service, data entry, phone, listening, verbal communication, building relationships, problem solving, and multi-tasking.

NODA, a leading developer of software solutions for call centers, provided the computer software for the training while People Sparx, a management consulting firm, trained the participants on English proficiency.

In their simple graduation ceremony held on Monday, the five graduates were thankful for the new knowledge they have acquired and expressed hope that they will be able to find gainful employment.

In her testimony, Maria Eleanor Valbuena, 24, one of the visually impaired participants and a graduate of Education, said that the training is her stepping stone to the corporate world. Her goal is to become a call center supervisor.

“One of my dreams is to be able to provide my family with a comfortable life,” she added.

Valbuena said that even if she experienced a lot of bullying and discrimination, she did not let her self-esteem get affected.

“I learned to be just myself. Even if I’m blind, there are things that I can do better than a normal person can. I can communicate well in English and I think that is my asset,” Valbuena said.

Another participant, Monette Mahinay, an 18-year-old student from Pasig City, stated, “After completing the training, I have this vision of myself becoming a competent call center agent. It brought me out of my comfort zone and I hope that more visually impaired individuals will benefit from this partnership.”

NODA Manager Jess Gaerlan said that they will help the participants get jobs.

“We are in the process of talking to some prospective companies that need call center agents or customer representatives. We will make sure that they will be employed after the training,” Gaerlan emphasized.

Gaerlan also said that the trainees will be on par with other applicants without disability when they apply for a job in a call center company.

NODA and People’s Sparks expect to accommodate more applicants.

In order to become a participant for the succeeding trainings, an applicant must be:

·        Legally visually impaired;
·        Indigent or belong to the marginalized sector;
·        At least 18 years old and above;
·        Must have a high school diploma preferably with 2 years college education:
·        Must possess good communication and organizational skills;
·        Must be proficient in computer technology, such as MS Office, and Assistive Technology;
·        Must be able to maneuver in assigned areas as required;
·        Must demonstrate proficiency in a job-related assessment; and
·        Must pass the skills assessment such as typing speed and listening skills test.

During the flag ceremony held on Monday wherein the five participants were presented, DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano Soliman lauded them for successfully completing the training.

“You did not allow your disability to hinder you from achieving your goals in life, which is truly commendable,” Sec. Soliman said.

Sec. Soliman also expressed her gratitude to NODA and People’s Sparks for supporting the project.

DSWD is also looking into partnering with other government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the future implementation of the program. DSWD and partners will conduct succeeding trainings with more PWD-participants.

“I envision in the long run that because of the success of the skills training project, this will also be cascaded to the Department’s 16 Field Offices so we can accommodate visually impaired individuals in the grassroots level,” Sec. Soliman ended. ###