JOBS-SKILLS mismatch remain a problem for graduates of technical-vocational programs and this should be addressed, Senator Joel Villanueva said.

“Palagi nating sinasabi na hindi trabaho ang kulang – ang kulang ay mga graduates na swak sa trabaho,” he said during the first Standing Committee meeting of the Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2.

Villanueva, who is one of the six commissioners of EDCOM 2 and co-chair of the Committee on TVET and Lifelong Learning, said that nearly two-thirds of TVET graduates experience training-job mismatch.

“Efforts should be geared towards connecting TVET outcomes with employers’ needs, forging linkages between TVET and industry,” the senator said.

“Isa po sa paborito kong analogy sa ating education system ay isang hagdan. Naririto po tayong lahat ngayon upang tiyakin na makumpleto natin at maging sapat ang mga baitang ng hagdan tungo sa isang masayang pagbabago,” Villanueva said.

During the meeting, Dr. Christina Epetia, Research Fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, reported a dramatic dip in TVET graduates and assessments caused by the Covid19 pandemic.

Her report also highlighted the lack of promotion of enterprise-based training, as well as the uptick of college students and graduates taking TVET courses.