21 September 2011
Rising to the challenge of a better and more empowered Philippines, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has called on the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) to be its partner in answering the government’s call to invest in human resources.
TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva said President Aquino’s call to invest in human resources and making education the central strategy for investing in the Filipino people in order to reduce poverty, is a challenge, which both TESDA and Local Government units (LGUs) are more than willing to respond to.
“We, at TESDA, are committed to pursue out mandate of making Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) more relevant to our people and accessible to our people. We strongly believe that partnering with the PCL will help get people out of poverty and contribute to the improvement of their lives,” Villanueva said.
A TESDA-PCL partnership, he said, will augur well in developing the capabilities of LGUs, especially those in the fourth, fifth and sixth class municipalities, by providing regular allocation to establish and institutionalize their own skills training and livelihood development program.
“Institutionalizing their skills development programs will also facilitate LGUs to pass local ordinances and resolutions in support of TESDA’s fight to close erring TVET institutions offering tech-voc programs not registered with TESDA in their respective municipalities or cities,” Villanueva explained.
Under its Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), TESDA will provide scholarships for skills/jobs with high demand and while funding support will be based on the needs and requirements of the community, financial assistance for technology-based training will be focused on LGUs with industries experiencing a skills shortage.
The PCL in coordination with TESDA field offices will develop skills development programs for their respective constituencies.
TESDA will also provide capability building programs for Councilors particularly in developing and managing technology-based community training programs. The partnership can include training needs analysis, program development, and training center management, among others.
As a major partner of TESDA, Councilors have the strategic position in the community to identify and influence the direction and outcome of TVET programs to be implemented in their areas.
“Councilors play very important roles in LGU development particularly in ensuring effective local administration which can improve the quality of life of the Filipinos in their respective communities,” Villanueva said, adding “They are in the best position to know the development needs of their people and the relevant programs to address these needs.”
TESDA will also train councilors to effectively perform their functions in promoting local tourism and in other agriculture-related concerns.
“I encourage the PCL and all its members to support TESDA’s programs, to join hands with TESDA in empowering the people in the communities through skills development,” Villanueva said.
“As partners in people empowerment, both TESDA and the PCL can help in reaching the grassroots, assuring quality training and planning and implementing lifelong educational and skills development for the benefit not just of a few individuals, but of the whole nation,” Villanueva added.
Under the Aquino administration, TESDA is tasked with the enormous challenge of equipping the nation’s workforce with employable and productive skills and producing a pool of highly competitive manpower to respond to the needs of industries and the communities, locally and overseas.
“Maintaining a strong partnership with LGUs is one of our major thrusts at TESDA. We recognize the need to further enhance and strengthen collaboration with LGU officials, and we believe that a partnership with the PCL will not only reduce poverty but also enhance the country’s national competitiveness,” Villanueva said.
The TESDA chief was at the 3rd Quarterly National Executive Officer and National Board Meeting of the PCL recently held in Bohol.
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