19 September 2014
Secretary Joel Villanueva, Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), traveled through Europe this week to trot out the country's technical vocational education and training program and promote the Filipinos as skilled and globally competitive workers.
Arriving in Germany, Thursday (Manila time), Villanueva joined the Philippine contingent led by President Benigno Aquino III, who earlier left for the four-nation swing in the region, aimed at forging bilateral and trade ties with foreign governments.
"We embark on this trip in Europe with President Aquino to boost our efforts in making known the Philippines' tech-voc and its graduates as world-class and globally competitive," Villanueva said.
"We want to learn from this region, specifically Germany because of its comprehensive approach to tech-voc that made its dual training system an economic success," he added.
In Berlin, the TESDA chief attended the BIBB Congress 2014 at the Berlin Congress Center, themed as "Structuring vocational education and training in a more attractive way - facilitating greater permeability."
The German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), the leading research tech-voc institutions in Germany, proposes to look closer at the issue of permeability to make vocational education and training more attractive.
A parallel forum was also held among tech-voc experts and executives, in which TESDA participated.
On September 19, Villanueva will sign a Technical Cooperation Agreement with BIBB that will involve working together in fostering vocational training research and development through reciprocal support, cooperation and exchanges of information.
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Villanueva will also witness the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent between the Philippines and Germany in furthering technical vocational education and training through consultancy, technical assistance, exchange of information, experiences, best practices, joint research, study tours and expert meetings.
The joint declaration will also help advance the implementation of the dual training system in the country, which has been a major factor in Germany's economic success and inventiveness.
Dual training involves classroom instruction and hands-on training within an enterprise. This ensures that the graduates are job-ready with the knowledge and skills required by the industry.
In Germany, he will also join the President in a series of activities with trade partners and in meetings with the Filipino community.
On September 21 in France, Villanueva will sign the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in technical vocational education and training between TESDA, the Association of Carriers and Equipment Lessors represented by its president, Lito Garcia, and the Assistance Formation Conseils aux Enterprises Group.
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