Tesda conducts forum to address TVET delivery
THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) on Thursday, October 26, conducted a Zonal Consultation Forum to discuss the strengths in providing the right education to the Filipino youth in order to tackle problems in productivity.
The forum, according to Tesda, aims to provide a value to identify the gaps in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) delivery and explore possible areas of collaboration and complementation with State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) in TVET delivery, as a response to the 10-point Socio-Economic Agenda of the Duterte Administration.
TVET is the education and training process where it involves, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life and social life, comprises of formal (organized programs as part of the school system) and non-formal (organized classes outside the school system) approaches.
"The challenge now is in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Quality Referencing Framework, the Philippine Quality Framework nga gaaingon nga mga level of competencies. While established na nato dinhi ang mga NC (National Certificate) 1, NC 2, NC 3, NC 4, that’s provided by TESDA, the higher education institution is taking care of the higher level. Ang isa nakong nakita karon, higher education institutions and the Tesda can very well collaborate kini sa level 5. Karon, ang challenge niini is enormous. We are now entering the face of industry 4.0," Ricardo Rotoras, president of Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (Pasuc), said.
Industry 4.0, according to Rotoras, is when everything is automated and operated by artificial intelligence.
"Other countries are really advanced na kining dapita, kita we are starting and that's why this collaboration, this kind of gatherings sa Tesda and higher education institutions is a very welcome development kay dinhi nato karon ma-address, ma-complement ang atong mga strengths and forces so we can provide right education to the Filipino people that deserves this attention," Rotoras said.
The Pasuc president added that aside from the challenges in the Asean Quality Referencing Framework and the Philippine Quality Framework, they also have to address the problem of job skills mismatch, unemployment/underemployment of graduates and lower economic productivity.
With the collaboration of Tesda and the SUCs, Rotoras said, they will be able to respond to the problems through the Ladderized Education Act of 2014.
The Ladderized curriculum is envisioned to correct the problem of skills mismatch.
To realize what the curriculum envisions, Rotoras said a pool competent trainers and experts is needed and hence, the need for skills training.
Tesda Secretary Guiling Mamondiong, meanwhile, encouraged the Filipino youth to communicate with Tesda when they need skills training.
"We are encouraging, we are appealing to the Filipino youths that if they need their skills training they should see us, because we are willing to give them the skills training that they need. Wala pong rejection dito, everybody is given the chance to have the skills training that they need," Mamondiong said.
Rotoras also mentioned the free tuition fees in colleges, saying that aside from this, there are also the Tertiary Education Support and Loan Program.
"Naa pa gyud additional funding kating ginatawag nato'g tertiary education support, naa pud tay loan program nga apart from libre na ang tuition, libre na ang other fees, katong atong mga estudyante later on nga naay mga kinahanglanun nga mga short term, ibayad sa libro, boarding houses, bayad sa review ug pag-take sa licensure exams, pwede sad ta maka-loan," Rotoras said, adding that this is a big investment of the National Government.