EDUKASYON, the leading education technology startup in the Philippines, has partnered with the Enrique Zobel Foundation to promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a viable and sustainable option for young Filipinos.
The grant from the foundation enables Edukasyon to add 50 technical-vocational (tech-voc) schools across the country to its online search-and-apply platform, offering prospective students information on and access to alternative education to employment pathways.
The joint initiative between Edukasyon and Enrique Zobel Foundation helps to ensure that young Filipinos are just as aware about quality tech-voc choices as they are about college options, recognizing that students have varying needs, priorities and resources when planning for their future careers. In addition, tech-voc institutions onboarded to the platform will benefit from increased online visibility and engagement with potential enrollees.
More than 30 tech-voc schools have been added to Edukasyon’s platform to date. These include TESDA Women’s Center, Asian Caregiving and Technology Education Centers, Tarlac School of Arts & Trade, Davao Institute of Technical Education, and Cebu Science of Welding and Skills Technology.
According to Edukasyon CEO and Founder Henry Motte-Muñoz, “There is too often a notion among Filipino students that conventional degrees are the sole path toward a secure livelihood. By broadening and diversifying offerings like tech-voc on our platform, through the generous support of the Enrique Zobel Foundation, we want to show that there are different paths for different individuals and each one can lead to a successful future.”
To welcome the first batch of Manila-based tech-voc institutions to its online platform, Edukasyon hosted a luncheon on September 25 to brief the representatives on completing and managing their online profiles – receiving, managing and tracking student inquiries and applications – as well as opportunities to maximize engagement through digital content.
At the onboarding event, Enrique Zobel Foundation’s program officer Grace Ann Lira shared, “We collaborate with both public and private organizations including Edukasyon to bring relevant changes to the communities and schools that we serve. As our founder has said, ‘the greatest social equalizer is giving quality education to the less privileged.’ We recognize that Technical-Vocational Education and Training plays an important role in sustainable development, and we look forward to more years of collaboration, growth and positive social impact.”
Kristeljem Ann Estacio from TESDA Women’s Center said, “In my experience, tech-voc has been beneficial for students who may not be able to afford four-year college degrees or those who prefer to work immediately instead of studying. Edukasyon can help us gain more enrollees, especially women, and more importantly, advocate for tech-voc by sharing more information and access to skills training.”
Edukasyon, which launched in 2015, is now visited by more than 10 million students each year. In partnership with more than 500 schools and 50 corporations and foundations, Edukasyon aims to empower Filipino Gen Z youth to make better-informed decisions about their education, career and life.
Edukasyon invites partners across sectors to join in its ongoing efforts to promote and advance Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the Philippines, to help young Filipinos of all backgrounds become industry-ready and equipped for a promising future.