Domestic work training in the Philippines for domestic helpers

What is the Domestic Work NC II Certificate for domestic work training?

Filipino domestic helpers who are hired to work in Hong Kong for the first time must obtain a Domestic Work NC II Certificate from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) after completing domestic work training.

According to government regulations in the Philippines, a first-time helper will need to carry out domestic work training and pass the Domestic Work NC II Assessment by TESDA in order to receive the National Certificate.

If a domestic helper has worked in Hong Kong before and they have a valid Domestic Work NC II Certificate, they do not need to go through the domestic work training and assessment process again. If the Domestic Work NC II Certificate has expired, the domestic helper can apply for renewal online or in-person at the TESDA Certification Office.

Why do Filipino domestic helpers need to attend domestic work training in the Philippines?

Domestic helpers are mandated to attend a Domestic Work NC II domestic work training programme at a TESDA accredited training centre before taking the NC II assessment. According to TESDA regulations, there are a few exceptions to this rule, mainly:

• Domestic helpers with at least 2 years of domestic work experience in a country other than the Philippines and Hong Kong.
• Domestic helpers with prior industry experience in the Philippines within the last 5 years.

If the domestic helper fits into either of these scenarios, the domestic helper doesn’t need to attend a domestic work training prior to taking the NC II assessment.

Attending domestic work training at a TESDA-accredited training centre is important, not just to ensure the helper’s success in passing the Domestic Work NC II assessment, but also essential for the domestic helper to adequately prepare for their life as a migrant worker in a foreign country. Thus, we strongly advise all first-time domestic helpers going to Hong Kong to attend domestic work training to be successful in their new jobs.

What do you need to look out for when choosing a domestic work training centre?

There are many domestic work training centres in the Philippines, but choosing the right one can be difficult. Be wary of unethical domestic work training centres that will take advantage of you and the domestic helper with exorbitant fees and poor quality training. We recommend you to look out for the following:

Domestic work training centres without accreditation from TESDA providing Domestic Work NC II training

Some domestic work training centres offer domestic work training to applicants without the proper accreditation from TESDA. Watch out for these domestic work training centres as they are not certified to train first-time domestic helpers ahead of their mandatory TESDA NC II assessment. To protect yourself, here’s a list of all the TESDA accredited training centres providing Domestic Work NCII training.

Domestic work training centres offering unusually short training programmes

Some domestic work training centres offer so-called ‘refresher courses’ for domestic helpers that are often shorter than the TESDA mandated domestic work training programme. These courses are not TESDA certified and focus only on preparing the worker to pass the Domestic Work NC II assessment. Unfortunately, these courses do nothing to adequately prepare domestic helpers for their job abroad.

Domestic work training centres charging domestic helpers excessive fees

Some domestic work training centres charge excessive fees to the applicants who want to undergo domestic work training. Oftentimes the employment agency processing the helper’s visa will coerce the applicant to attend a specific training centre. When doing so, the applicant will be charged excessive training fees which aim to cover both the domestic work training as well as kickbacks or referral fees to the employment agency. Note that the choice of training centre is up to the domestic helper, not the agency nor the employer.

Domestic work training centres only focusing on hard-skills and assessment preparation

Domestic work training that focuses only on hard skills is not enough to prepare a domestic helper for their job in a different country. Instead, domestic work training that also focuses on pre-migration and adaptation skills must be prioritised. Therefore, domestic work training should include communication skills, destination-specific training, financial education, and other practical skills necessary for the success of the domestic helper in Hong Kong.

What is the Fair Training Center?

At the Fair Employment Agency, we recommend Filipino first-time helpers to attend Domestic Work NC II domestic work training at the Fair Training Center.

The Fair Training Center is a government-accredited training centre based in Parañaque City, Metro Manila. Unlike most domestic work training centres in the Philippines, the Fair Training Center prepares job applicants with the necessary skills and tools to be successful while working abroad. Fair Training Center’s curriculum has been deemed the “gold standard” for premigration training by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the Philippines and includes a focus on financial education, professionalism, communication skills, migration adaptation skills, and pre-migration preparation for both domestic helpers and their families. 

Fair Training Center and Fair Employment Agency are independent entities under the Fair Employment Foundation. We share the same mission of preventing forced labour by creating better outcomes for both employers and helpers through effective pre-migration training and ethical recruitment.

To know more about Fair Training Center, visit their website or contact them directly via Facebook or Messenger.