29 April 2016
Harmonizing technical vocational education and training (TVET) programs and ensuring the ease of flow of potential workers in Southeast Asian (SEA) countries are among the key challenges facing the country as a result of economic integration.
TVET leaders and institutions will try to address these and other related issues as they gather in SEAMEO Innotech Quezon City from May 3 to 4, for the Country-Level Workshop on Philippines’ SEA-TVET Harmonization and Mobility.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Irene Isaac said one of the highlights of the workshop is the identification of plan of action related to pilot student and teacher/instructor/trainer exchanges and other collaborative activities on priority industry areas of the country namely, hospitality and tourism; agriculture and fisheries; electronics/mechatronics; and, manufacturing.
TESDA also hopes to come up with programs on providing a networking platform among TVET institutions and TVET partners, and capacity-building support to officials and institutions, Isaac said.
“As focus is geared towards TVET as a priority area in the Southeast Asian region, TESDA should continue laying the groundwork to make its tech-voc education industry-driven and competency-based to allow adaptability of its graduates to the changing work requirements,” she said.
“We need to continuously enhance our partnership with the private sector, industries, TVET institutions, local government units and other stakeholders to guarantee quality and relevant training and assure employment for the graduates in this new landscape,” she added.
TESDA and DepEd host the workshop together with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and Asian Development Bank.
Among the participants are directors/ principals of TVET institutions, TVET experts and educators, TVET development agencies and SEAMEO officers.
The topics of discussions will focus on among others, the current status of TVET in Southeast Asia; regional qualification framework for TVET; SEAMEO regional initiative towards harmonization and internationalization of programs; international accreditation mechanism for TVET; industry needs and issues for employability in the Philippines; and, public-private partnership on TVET in the country.
A Framework of Cooperation among TVET institutions and their participation in the SEA-TVET Consortium is also expected to be signed.
The workshop is an offshoot of the High Official Meeting among TVET executives and partners in Thailand last year and another workshop on the same topic in Indonesia.
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