The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) concluded its Forum on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Research Initiatives last December 7, 2017, at the TESDA Women Center, Taguig City. TESDA Executive Director Marissa Legaspi conveyed that research is an overarching strategy to achieve evidence-based policies in TVET. The forum highlighted TESDA’s research agenda, as well as the study conducted by the World Bank, Korean Development Institute and De La Salle University.

TESDA Assistant Executive Ma. Angelina Carreon presented the National Technical Education and Skills Development Research Agenda (NTRA) 2017-2022 which underlines research priorities on global competitiveness, social equity, qualification standards and management, support to TVET provision and TVET trends/issues and development. Aside from the specifics of the NTRA, research in the agency is projected to intensify the growing, albeit still limited, sources of research fund.

Dr. Marites Tiongco, Dean of the De La Salle University School of Economics, and one of the authors of the Study on the Impact of On-the-Job-Training on Employment and Earnings of the Dual Training System (DTS) in the Philippines, discussed the positive impact of DTS on labor market earnings. Dualtech Business Director Mr. Crisanto Malaiba and UP School of Statistics Dean Dr. Dennis Mapa served as panel of reactors. Both expressed their positive views on the importance of the DTS program, and emphasized that DTS is a key policy solution in solving unemployment.

The participants coming from representatives from various government agencies, industry associations, schools, training centers, and TESDA employees enriched the forum through sharing of recommendations that are vital in strengthening research in TVET and specifics in improving the implementation of the DTS program.