December 19, 2018
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Secretary and Director General Isidro S. Lapeña, PhD., CSEE, yesterday presided over the official media launching of the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan, 2018-2022, the national blueprint for the technical-vocational education and training sector, or, TVET.
In a simple ceremony at the Hotel Jen in Pasay City, Secretary Lapeña unveiled the 158-page NTESDP, 2018-2022 in the presence of TESDA officials, representatives of TESDA partner-agencies, members of the academe, TVET industry partners, and other stakeholders in the TVET community.
“We thought it auspicious to unveil today to our people the NTESDP, 2018-2022 because in just 12 days, we will usher in a New Year, which to us holds a promise not only of hope, but of good tidings for all, especially for our Filipino workers,” Lapeña said in his message during the media launch.
Lapeña said the NTESDP, 2018-2022 is geared towards lifting up the disadvantaged, the marginalized, and those in the lower strata of our society from poverty to the mainstream comfort of progress.
“Through this Plan, the TESDA seeks to forge and harness partnerships with local government units, TVET associations, industries, and the academe to deliver targeted and community-specific TVET programs. We believe this would contribute to our aim of winning the hearts and minds of the people, develop the competencies, establish income-producing livelihoods, and maximize their contribution to their respective local economies,” the TESDA chief explained.
The NTESDP, 2018-2022, the fourth in the cycle of TVET planning, is a product of expansive consultations, discussions, researches, and studies by and among the stakeholders in the TVET community lead by TESDA, as mandated under Republic Act 7796 or the TESDA Act of 1994.
This mandate directs the TESDA to formulate a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on a national employment plan or policies for the optimum allocation, development, and utilization of skilled workers for employment entrepreneurship, and technology development for economic and social growth.
Accordingly, this plan shall, after approval of the President, shall be the plan for technical education and skills development for the entire country within the framework of the Philippine Development Plan.
“I am proud to say that the NTESDP, 2018-2022, has already been approved in the Cabinet level. We are just waiting for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s signature of approval for the Plan, Lapeña said.
“I am also pleased to say that the NTESDP, 2018-2022 is not the handiwork of TESDA alone. This Plan contains the wisdom and technical expertise and inputs of all the various TVET stakeholders, some of whom are with us today. I thank them for their concerted and rigorous efforts to see the Plan realized in its present form,” he added.
He explained that being the plan for the TVET subsector, the NTESDP, 2018-2022 serves as a compass and guide to all TVET stakeholders, actors, movers, and leaders in coming up with responsive policies and programs for the sector.
“The Plan supports the broader goals and objectives of the national government as set forth in the Philippine Development Plan,” he further said.
The NTESDP, 2018-2022 runs on the theme, “Vibrant Quality TVET for Decent Work and Sustainable Inclusive Growth” , which recognizes the thrust of the Duterte administration towards “Quality TVET for All”.
Towards the achievement of this desired goal, the plan highlights a Two-Pronged Strategy: (1) TVET for Global Competitiveness and Workforce Readiness and (2) TVET for Social Equity.
Secretary Lapeña said the TESDA is happy with the plan and is convinced that it will equip the Filipino workforce with the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to stay relevant and competitive and be able to adapt to the world of work today and in the near future.
“We are now in a globalized and interconnected world, where we are staring right in the eye the hard challenges of the 4thIndustrial Revolution (4IR). We must ensure that our workforce retains their competitive advantages over other workforces elsewhere. These competitive advantages have made Filipinos known and preferred the world over,” he said.
He expressed strong belief that TVET, in general, and TESDA, in particular, can contribute immensely to the attainment of peace and development in the countryside, saying that under his term, the TESDA will not only focus on the development of the Filipino workforce to fill in the manpower requirements of the industries but also to empower those who are hard to reach or the unreached sectors of the population, using the plan as guide.
“Thus, I would like to enjoin the support of the media and all other partners to ensure that the programs and projects enshrined in the plan will be disseminated, appreciated, and understood by our people, especially by our target clients and partners. Otherwise, no matter how good the plan is, if we fail to bring its contents to our clientele, or if we do not reach them, then we will definitely fail in our mission,” he finally said.
Share this page
