02 March 2013
As high school students contemplate on their next education path after graduation, Secretary Joel Villanueva urged them to consider an option that may be equally worthwhile and rewarding as college -- technical vocational education and training (TVET).
"I know the idea of a college or university education is always appealing. But TVET is more affordable, hands-on, and the path to a good job is shorter," Villanueva, director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), said.
"TVET is a system that churns out skilled workers who are the backbone of the Philippine's thriving economy," he added.
Villanueva was the guest speaker at the 1st Bulacan Career Expo held at the Baliuag Gym in Bulacan Friday, which gathered at least 2,000 graduating high school students and around 40 technical vocational institutions (TVIs).
The event also saw the mass graduation of more than a thousand scholars of TESDA under its Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). The graduates, who finished various courses, came from Pulilan and nearby Bulacan towns.
TESDA worked with the Bulacan Association of Technical Schools (BATS), the association of public and private TVET institutions in the province, to organize the career expo and give the graduating high school students the opportunity to explore different career options and course offerings in TVET.
Career guidance officers and trainers were also on site to provide the students p information and guidance about the course offerings.
TESDA Specialistas, or those who have completed the course, underwent assessment and were certified, were also present for the skills demonstration with the help of some TVIs.
"Gone were the times when graduating with a college degree was a passport to the world of full-time job. Choosing the right course now is the key for future career prospects," Villanueva said.
According to the TESDA chief, the market is changing and is now looking for recruits who already have the right set of usable skills.
In its year-end report, TESDA said more Filipinos are turning to TVET for jobs.
Enrolment in various TESDA courses registered at 1.7 million in 2012, compared to 1.5 million enrollees in 2011.
Of the total enrollees last year, about 1.5 million finished their course, and 935,230 individuals took the assessment. Of the graduates who were assessed, 803,350 were certified in their respective specializations.
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