THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority has entered into more than 600 agreements as it continues to forge partnerships with local and international stakeholders to further strengthen technical vocational education and training in the country.

Last year, the agency signed 649 memoranda of agreement, 16 memoranda of understanding, and 2 memoranda of partnerships with various public and private organizations.

“By expanding partnerships and international cooperation, we can ensure that the tech-voc training of the country is at par with international standards. These also support our ongoing pursuit for an area-based and demand-driven TVET,” TESDA Director General Danilo Cruz said.

Among the private organizations that TESDA has started working with this year are the SM Retail, Inc., Huawei Technologies Phils., Inc.; Project Inclusion Network; Far East Broadcasting Corp.; and Sunsmart-UFG.

TESDA also signed agreements with government entities such as Korea International Cooperation Agency; Philippine Statistics Authority; Philippine Coconut Authority-Agricultural Training Institute; Department of Trade and Industry and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The agency also reached out to other countries through bilateral cooperation to benchmark TVET standards and advance the Philippines’ TVET sector.

TESDA forged agreements with the United Kingdom, Australia, International Labor Organization, United States Agency for International Development, Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

“TESDA remains committed to improving the tech-voc sector of the country in response to the challenges brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Cruz said.

This year, TESDA signed a memorandum of understanding with Hungary’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology. The deal covers cooperation in TVET systems, development of competency standards and research and development, among others.

To support the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the agency is in the process of developing the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan 2023-2028

“The NTESDP is the TVET sector’s roadmap for the next five years and will work on the strategies of ‘new mindset’, ‘restyle’, ‘reskill’ and ‘digitalization’ with the Area-Based, Demand Driven TVET as a central strategy,” the TESDA chief explained.

More TVET innovation centers are expected to be built in the country through the Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training System Project with the ADB.

The SIPTVETS is a $100 million loan that will upgrade and modernize the training facilities and equipment in 17 selected technology institutions to transform them into industry-responsive innovation centers and offer higher-level TVET programs.