THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority has tapped the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture to evaluate its program on Accelerating Farm School Establishment which is being implemented nationwide.

PAFSE encourages farmers and other private individuals to set up farm schools across the country. It provides skills training, retooling, reskilling, and upgrading of the labor force in the agri-fishery sector.

SEARCA will identify the challenges, operational issues and best practices and learnings to improve PAFSE.

The evaluation team began its data collection covering six regions in October 2022.

TESDA implements PAFSE in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Training Institute and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Since 2016, PAFSE has supported the establishment and improvement of at least 111 farm schools nationwide through 275 agri-fishery-focused training programs.

SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said the partnership with TESDA aligns well with the agency’s priority on agri-business models for increased productivity and income as well as gender and youth engagement in agriculture under its strategic agenda of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation.