Cebu Technical Vocational Institute is recognized for outstanding CSR project in education

For producing multi-skilled and employable graduates, the Senior High School Program of the Primary Structures Educational Foundation, Inc. - School of Knowledge for Industrial Labor Leadership and Service (PSEFI SKILLS) was recognized as winner of the Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project in Education by the members of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF).

The recognition was announced during LCF's CSR Guild Awards on July 3, 2024, at Dusit Hotel Thani, Makati City. PSEFI SKILLS President and Chief Operating Officer, Paulette D. Liu, and Executive Director, Jessie Cubijano, accepted the award.

Organized since 2019, the CSR Guild Awards honors outstanding projects in arts and culture, disaster response, education, enterprise, environment, financial inclusion, and health implemented by the member foundations of LCF.

Fulfilling the K-12 promise

In 2016, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12) introduced Grades 11 and 12 in the country’s secondary school system. This was intended to make Filipino students better prepared and more competitive in employment or higher education.

In the same year, PSEFI SKILLS opened its Senior High School (SHS) focusing on Technical Vocational Livelihood or TVL track. PSEFI SKILLS provides comprehensive academic education and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to Grades 11 and 12 students, who mostly come from poor and marginalized families. 

The graduates of SKILLS have an edge over regular senior high school students because they are multi-skilled. They enroll in any of these three TVL courses: Industrial Arts, Home Economics - Hospitality, and Home Economics - Caregiving.

Industrial Arts students complete at least three of the following TESDA NC II courses: Carpentry, Masonry, Tile Setting NC II, and Electrical Installation and Maintenance during their two-year stay at SKILLS. Meanwhile, Hospitality students also complete at least three of the following NC II courses: Food and Beverage Services, Housekeeping, Front Office NC, and Hilot Wellness Massage.

Lastly, Caregiving students learn the rigors of taking care of various types of patients such as elderly, infants, persons with special needs, and adolescents. An internally developed program called Medical Auxiliary Specialized Service (MASS) infused in the curriculum further prepares the Caregiving students for a career at hospitals and health care facilities.  

Aside from the diploma and multiple TESDA NC II that the students earn upon graduation, SKILLS also provides an opportunity for the graduates to acquire Industry Certificates in construction and hospitality. Industry Certification is an assessment, certification, and accreditation system designed by the industry that ensures that workers are competent and reliable. These credentials give them the options to pursue employment and self-employment, entrepreneurship, or enroll in higher education, thereby fulfilling the intentions of K-12.

To date, SKILLS has produced 574 senior high graduates who are now employed or pursuing higher education. A number of the graduates have returned to SKILLS as faculty, trainers, or admin staff. In 2023, the commissioners and secretariat of the Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM2 visited SKILLS and recognized the institution as one of the best practices in delivering relevant education.

Addressing the academe-industry mismatch

The latest report of EDCOM2 showed a dismal picture of the country’s public education system. EDCOM2 laid down several recommendations to address the numerous challenges. Specific to TVET, EDCOM2 recommended greater industry involvement and investment in upskilling programs and ensuring the delivery of quality TVET for better jobs. These recommendations continue to be carried out by PSEFI SKILLS since its founding in 2008.

PSEFI SKILLS was established by the Primary Group of Builders (PGB) to address poverty due to unemployment, the shortage of skilled workers, and the persistent mismatch between the academe and industry. 

PGB is a Cebu-based conglomeration of businesses in construction and manufacturing, real estate, shipping and logistics, health and lifestyle, and human capital development. PGB started operating in 1951 as William C. Liu Construction, the predecessor of Primary Structures Corporation which is responsible for some of Cebu’s most iconic infrastructures.    

According to Paulette Liu, “PSEFI SKILLS is committed to the training and certification of globally competent Filipino workers. PGB companies help create shared value by providing funds for academic and TVET scholarships, developing market-driven training programs, opening their workplaces for the immersion of the trainees, and welcoming skilled senior high graduates as valuable employees. “

PSEFI SKILLS also offer short-term certification courses in construction, heavy equipment operations, hospitality, health services, and maritime. Starting August 2024, SKILLS will already offer a three-year diploma in Civil Engineering Technology. 

PSEFI SKILLS collaborate with the industry, government, communities, and donors enabling it to serve more marginalized Filipinos especially out of school youth, unemployed men and women, and persons with disabilities. To date, the skills training, assessment, certification, and employment services of PSEFI SKILLS have reached 33,000 Filipinos. 

In 2023, the People Management Association of the Philippines also recognized SKILLS as the People Program of the Year Exemplar. For more information about SKILLS, contact executive.director@skills.com.ph. Students and prospective partners may also visit www.skills.com.ph and SKILLS, Inc. at Facebook. (PR)