BUTUAN CITY – Industry and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) stakeholders in Caraga convened recently in a regional consultation held in one of the local convention centers here.
Dubbed as Regional Consultation with Industry and TVET Stakeholders, the event was graced by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General, Sec. Guiling A. Mamondiong
In his speech, Sec. Mamondiong enjoined the participants to support the present administration saying that “change has started to happen and all these changes will never succeed without the support of the Filipino people.”
Sec. Mamondiong also underscored the scholarship programs that TESDA is offering to the Caraganons. He said this year, some 30,000 scholarship slots will be given to Caraga Region. With this announcement from the TESDA Chief, administrators from the Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) welcomed this development.
Meanwhile, TESDA-Caraga OIC Regional Director Rey Cueva explained that in line with the direction and priorities of the new Administration, TESDA has crafted the TVET Reform and Development Agenda in the next six (6) years and beyond.
Dir. Cueva added this is embodied in the TVET for poverty reduction framework that is envisioned to guide TESDA in the policies, programs, and strategies for the entire TVET sector. This shall also guide the formulation of the next cycle plan, the National TESD Plan (NTESDP) 2017-2022.
Cueva further said the need to communicate these new directions and priorities to all TVET stakeholders, particularly the target beneficiaries, cannot be overemphasized. Their involvement and participation in needs assessment, planning, program design and implementation is also important.
The official stressed the Consultation will be an avenue to engage concerned stakeholders in making the TVET reform and development agenda more relevant and attainable and in generating information on regional and area specific skills needs which shall be needed in the formulation of the respective regional technical education and skills development plans.
The regional consultation aims to provide the stakeholders information on the current situation of technical vocational education and training. It also aims to inform the TVET stakeholders (government, industry, academe, sectoral groups and other partners) about the TVET for poverty reduction strategy and the Reform and Development Agenda and generate consensus and support for the attainment of the set objectives.
Further, the regional consultation serves as venue to determine/validate priority skills needs of the different industries and the communities in the area and the recommended program interventions and support, and generate policy inputs and recommendations and strategies for the future direction of TVET leading to the updating of the National and Regional Technical Education and Skills Development Plans 2017-2022.
Participants of the consultation are Local Government Unit leaders in the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay; industry groups in the agriculture, industry, and services; Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Sectoral Groups composed of labor, women, marginalized Groups-IPs, informal workers, farmers, fisher folks, PWDs; TVET Associations/academe; Regional/Provincial TESD Committees; and other TVET partners and stakeholders relevant in the area. (RER/TESDA-Caraga)