PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Technical Education Skills Development Authority should work with the Department of Education to ensure senior high school students will be skilled after graduation.

“There’s a demand for mga workers, pero hindi po tayo nakakapagbigay talaga ng sapat na kaalaman, at iyong mga senior high school po, hindi na-e-employ kaagad-agad,” TESDA Deputy Director General Rosanna Urdaneta said.

TESDA is proposing to embed Technical and Vocational Education and Training qualifications in all SHS tracks to promote lifelong learning and improve employability, equipping high school graduates with industry-relevant skills and knowledge.

“So, what the President had instructed the TESDA Director General, Secretary Mangudadatu, is for him to work closely with DepEd and harmonize [the] curriculum [of] TVET, as well as that of senior high school,” Urdaneta added.

From October to November 2023, TESDA identified 84 Training Regulations that can be embedded in the existing SHS curriculum, which was followed by consultative meetings with concerned government agencies such as the Department of Education and Department of Labor and Employment and private stakeholders.