ICT TRAINING CENTER FOR THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED

Objective

• Establish a training center in Information & Communication Technology (ICT) that provide the disabled with adequate skills training so that they can qualify for employment in the IT business.

Status

• Our initial ten-week training program yielded 57 graduates, 34 are now employed.
• The second training batch concluded last March 31st 2006 came up with 28 graduates, are now employed. The other 25 have yet to find employment.
• The second training batch concluded last March 31st 2006 came up with 28 graduates, are now employed. The other 25 have yet to find employment.
• At our initiative upon joining the Bishops-Businessmen Conference (BBC), the BBC has created a cluster specifically tasked to advocate for the employment of the disabled especially in the private sector. The approach of the cluster is to convince employers to look at the ability, and not the disability, as basis for hiring the disabled.
• Our partner organizations for this project are ---

Christoffer Blinden Mission (CBM) provided start-up funds that allowed us to set up the ICT Training Center and sustain the program for the next two years.

The National Council For The Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) provides the Center with additional trainees.

The Technical Education & Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is tasked with reviewing course curriculum prior certification.

The National Computer Center (NCC) has committed to help us with the use of their facilities for the nationwide implementation of the distance learning program.

Visions and Breakthroughs, Int’l. provides us with trainee profiling and psychological assessment.

ENCODING PROJECT

Objective

• Provide differently abled persons with interim employment in order for them to learn to work well in a corporate setting. It is here where they imbue the correct mind-set & attitudes that facilitate their assimilation into large companies.

Status

• Since we organized The NOVA Foundation on Nov. 5, 2002, we have trained more than 300 differently abled persons and over 150 have found employment with private companies.
• We now have 53 seats—working in two shifts---and employ a total 69 persons with disabilities out of a total 121 workforce. Note that our encoding operations have been accredited as an ISO service provider by Client A.C. Nielsen.
• We are also actively marketing our capabilities to generate more encoding work for differently abled persons.
• Through our efforts to invite the private sector to become involved in providing jobs to differently abled persons in the areas of Cebu and Davao, they have already been employed to do encoding jobs ---

	Cebu	-	10 seats
			Employs 7 PWDs out of total workforce of 10.
	Davao	-	10 seats
			Employs 5 PWDs.

Our partner organizations for this project are ---

The National Council For The Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP), an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), provides trainees backed by social case studies.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is tasked with reviewing our curriculum prior to certification.

The Manila Christian School For the Deaf refers to us their graduates for hands-on training.

A.C. Nielsen (Phils.) Inc., Client and project co-proponent, has committed to provide job contracts.

Nfyneat Datacon Inc. has been responsible for hiring and training disabled workers in the areas of Cebu and Davao.

WORK-AT-HOME PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST

Objective

• Establish a Work-At-Home training program for persons differently abled persons that will provide them with sufficient IT training via distance learning and through a computer network to be able to do medical transcription work out of one’s residence.

Status

• Each Trainee was provided with his own computer system complete with a web cam at home together with ten (10) software programs installed as well as fifteen (15) reference books.
• Of the original 25 trainees, 14 had completed the course. Seven are now employed (3 with TTSI, 3 with The 700 Club, 1 with a private firm) and we are negotiating with other MT companies for the employment of the remaining 8 graduates.
• One of Fifty (50) entries cited and awarded out of 1,800 proposals submitted to the World Bank’s first Philippine Development Innovative Marketplace’s “Panibagong Paraan’ competition held in February 2004.
• Our partner organizations for this project are ---

The World Bank / Australian Agency for International Development provided start-up funds for the initial Work-At-Home Program.

The Spinal Cord Injury Foundation (SCI) handles the web training for the medical transcription program.

Total Transcriptions Solutions, Inc. (TTSI) had committed to hire graduates of the program who will meet their standards.

Visions & Breakthroughs, In’tl. provides us with trainee profiling and psychological assessment.

Infocom, Inc. provided the internet connection for the first Work-At-Home Program.

The National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) provides us with additional trainees.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is tasked with reviewing course curriculum prior certification.

ON-LINE EDUCATION FOR MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST (OneMT)

Objective

• Provide a distance learning program where the orthopedically-challenged and the visually-impaired can be trained to do medical transcriptions nationwide through the web.

Status

• Program package is ready for launch. Implementation and management of the course curriculum for the disabled sector will be jointly administered by The NOVA Foundation, OneMT and the Kapakanan Foundation.
• The advantage of web-based distance learning process over the traditional teaching methods is that trainees, with little or no medical background, usually need to go back to review lessons that are taught. This is possible with OneMT.
• Web-based materials utilized for OneMT will not allow anyone taking it to go from one module to the next without having passed or mastered the first one.
• The course curriculum as developed by The NOVA Foundation is now under review and approval by TESDA.
• Our partner organizations for this project are ---

The National Council For The Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) will refer to us possible trainees.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is takes with reviewing the course curriculum prior certification.

The National Computer Center will host the main file for the program.

OneMT is the private company that will make available and manage the program for trainees in the private sector.

The Kapakanan Foundation For The Blind will assist administer the program to visually impaired trainees together with the Philippine Blind Union, VIDERE, the Government Union of Integrated Disabled Employees, the Call Foundation and EPHETA.

The Akap Pinoy will take charge of assisting orthopedically-impaired trainees.

This project will be launched soon.

ACCESS HABITAT HOUSING PROJECT

Objective

• Develop an accessible, self-sustained low-cost community of which majority is composed of differently abled persons and their families where they may lead comfortable lives amid a safe, barrier-free environment.

Status

• Available land totaling 14,044 sqm. has been identified; corresponding TCT has been verified and is unencumbered.
• Architectural design concept of the project has been completed.
• Conduct a survey to ascertain the number of differently abled individuals and their families who may qualify to buy housing units.
• The project has already been presented to the Provincial Government of Bulacan which has expressed its willingness to support and endorse the project.
• Our partner organizations for this project are ---

The National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) will oversee implementation of this pilot project.

The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPCI) may refer parties interested to purchase housing units.

Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-Ibig Fund) will provide financial coverage for the loans.

Nova Management Corp. is the landowner and project proponent.

Antonio R. Alunan Design Systems (ARADS), Inc. is responsible for the design of this barrier-free housing project.

The Local Government of the City of Malolos, Bulacan will refer possible buyers and look into possibility of providing means of livelihood for the residents.