18 December 2015
Backed by quality policies, programs and systems and their effective implementation, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has stayed the course in providing technical vocational education and training, assessment and certification and other services to its customers.
In its Accomplishment Report covering January to October 2015, the agency announced that the TVET sector has enrolled a total of 1,645,418 trainees. Of these, a total of 1,502,656 finished their respective courses and graduated.
Irene Isaac, TESDA Director General, said the agency is on track in meeting its target enrollees of 2,185,221 and graduates of 1,966,699 until the end of the year as trainees continue to get into tech-voc courses in various accredited institutions all over the country.
Data on the assessment of graduates showed that as of October, a total of 1,097,909 have taken the skills assessment, of which 1,003,928 have been certified.
"The certification of graduates is not the end of the line of TESDA services. Going the extra mile, we want to see them through their employment," Isaac said.
TESDA is conducting an annual tracer study on the employment of tech-voc graduates. The most recent study shows that 6 out of 10 graduates get employed within six months to one year after completing their programs.
Isaac noted that employment in companies is not the only path for tech-voc graduates, but engaging in business or livelihood as well. This is the reason why the agency has introduced the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP) that aims to provide not only technical skills but also entrepreneurial acumen to enable the graduates to start their own small businesses.
In addition to STEP, TESDA's major scholarship programs include the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) and Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA).
As of October this year from January, the number of subsidized enrollees under TWSP has reached 201,060; PESFA has 17,683; and STEP has 9,362.
TESDA's online program, designed to reach as many Filipino learners, registered a total 631,268 users, exceeding the program target of 424,588. The program has also added eight new courses this year to cater to the needs of the online users. Currently, there are 37 training programs available online.
In meeting the critical skills requirements of companies, the agency continues to develop and update its Training Regulations in collaboration with industry practitioners. As of end of October, TESDA has developed and updated 75 TRs in various qualifications.
TESDA has also adhered to the requirements for transparent governance by posting in its website up-to-date information such as reports, major program and projects and their status of implementation, annual procurement plan, contracts awarded, names of contractors and suppliers.
"The goal is towards relevant and quality tech-voc that not only produces graduates, but individuals who will gain decent employment," Isaac said.
"TESDA will continue to rise up to meet the changing needs of the market, link with the public and private sector partners and put in place good governance practices within the agency," Isaac added.
In addition to TESDA’s ISO 9001:2008 nationwide certification, the agency has likewise applied for the Philippine Quality Awards for exemplary organizational performance. It has also expanded its partnership with industry associations, companies and local government units in various areas such as skills training, enterprise-based training, assessment and certification, and scholarships among others.
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