Duterte signs law giving free tech-voc education

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure granting free access to technical-vocational education and training (TVET) to qualified recipients in a bid to address unemployment and job-skills mismatch.

Republic Act (RA) 11230 establishes Tulong-Trabaho Fund to provide qualified recipients full payment for selected training programs' training fees as well as to give them additional financial aid like transportation allowance and laboratory fees, as needed.

Access to the fund will be made available to any unemployed, uneducated, and untrained person at least 15 years of age, and to employed workers who intend to develop and expand their current skills and trainings.

"All costs to be incurred in undergoing assessment and certification, issuance of national certificates and other documents, administrative and all other procedures required for the completion of the TVET programs under the STPs shall be free of charge to the qualified recipients," RA 11230 or the Tulong Trabaho Act read.

The newly-signed law mandates the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to manage the Tulong-Trabaho Fund and provide guidelines to determine the qualified beneficiaries entitled to receive financial assistance from the fund.

The Tesda also has the power to receive donations from both government and nongovernment organizations to be used "strictly and exclusively for the beneficiaries and qualified applicants of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund."

The Tesda Board is also tasked to approve the final list of STPs eligible to receive funding from the Tulong-Trabaho Fund based on the initial recommendation of Tesda Secretariat.

"STPs may be school-based, center-based, community-based, enterprise-based or web-based programs," the law said.

"The Tesda shall release the initial list of available STPs within two months from the effectivity of this Act, and shall update such list in accordance with the provisions of this Act," it added.

The industry boards seeking funding for STPs is also directed to submit a list of trainees who have requested assistance from the Tulong-Trabaho Fund to the Tesda regional directors.

The Tesda regional directors will then assess the recipients and submit a list of qualified beneficiaries to the Tesda director general for approval.

RA 11230 instructs recipient-industry boards and institutions to ensure that at least 80 percent of the beneficiaries of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund are able to pass the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and Certification System.

The Tesda is also directed to create a registry of schools and training centers that offer STPs and a database of qualified recipients of financial assistants and graduates of such programs.

The law also ordered Tesda Board to issue and make public an annual report on the utilization of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund to ensure fair and full disclosure.

A joint congressional oversight committee is likewise created to monitor and review the implementation of the law an the disbursements of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund.

The panel will be composed of three members each from the House higher and technical education committee; House labor and employment committee; Senate labor, employment and human resources development committee; Senate education, arts and culture committee; and one senator and congressman representing the minority blocs.

The funds necessary for the implementation of RA 11230 will be taken from the Tesda in the current General Appropriations Act and in the succeeding years.

RA 11230, signed by Duterte on February 22, was released by the Palace just on Wednesday, March 13. (SunStar Philippines)

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph