The DOST Technology Training Center (DTTC) of the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) in cooperation with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) conducted a Seminar-Workshop on Entrepreneurship and Financial Management for Business Start-Up last February 5-7, 2013 at Aparri Polytechnic Institute in Maura, Aparri, Cagayan. The seminar-workshop was in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TAPI and TESDA signed last February 23, 2012 to establish a “Center for Replicable and Adaptive Technologies for Enterprises (CReATE)”.

Designed to develop the entrepreneurship skills of the TESDA Technology Institutions (TTI), the seminar-workshop was attended by thirty one (31) faculty members from fifteen (15) different schools in Regions 1 and 2. They were trained to become advisers for the DOST-Academe Technology-Based Enterprise Development (DATBED) Program of TAPI in their respective regions. Competent resource persons from the Technology Resource Center (TRC) gave relevant lectures on entrepreneurship and financial management. The attendees, on the other hand, actively participated in the workshop activities including Livelihood Mapping, Drawing of Entrepreneurship Idol, Business Planning and Presentation of Simplified Business Plan.

The CReATE project was created to promote, adapt and replicate indigenous technologies from DOST researches and inventions through product-based trainings. TAPI identified its DTTC and DATBED programs as possible collaborators for the CReATE project. It was initially piloted in Regions 1, 2 and 3 and the TTI’s in these regions were accredited under the DATBED program. DATBED orientation and accreditation will be held in Regions 5, 8 and 10 by March 2013. (Arjay D. Fernandez)