THE UNITED States Agency for International Development and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority launched a new program that will equip key TESDA leaders with “Futures Thinking” skills and tools.

USAID said the Futures Thinking Framework will be crafted with the expertise of the Center for Engaged Foresight and the Education Development Center through its Opportunity 2.0 Program.

Around 30 select TESDA leaders will participate in workshops and sessions to develop the framework, equipping them with strategic foresight skills and tools in the next five to six months.

“One way of ensuring that TVET remains responsive to risks, opportunities, and changes the future may bring is for actors to come together. This is why USAID is also honored to be an instrumental player that kickstarts the development of TESDA’s Futures Thinking Framework,” Jeff Goebel, USAID Philippines Acting Deputy Mission Director, said.

“With the capacity of TESDA strengthened, the Philippine TVET sector becomes agile and future-ready to the dynamic changes in the education, industry, and employment sector.  TVET policies and programs will be demand-driven, relevant, forward-looking, and will be able to create a positive impact on even more young people in the Philippines,” he added.

Futures Thinking is an approach to planning that helps organizations analyze their past and present more closely.

This helps them identify patterns, see emerging threats and opportunities, build potential scenarios, as well as apply labor market information in crafting policies.

Through the discipline and lens of Futures Thinking, TESDA will be able to make changes to prepare itself and its technical-vocational education and training programs to adapt to uncertainty in the future.

USAID has been working with TESDA through its Opportunity 2.0 Program in an effort to help out-of-school youth pursue their education, get jobs, or start their own business.