SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian announced that the Senate’s final version of the proposed 2025 national budget allocates P70 million to boost the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s digital transformation.

Gatchalian, co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, pushed for the P70 million allocation to fund three key projects: P40 million for the acquisition and development of an Artificial Intelligence-powered Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) course builder, P20 million for the Internet of Things (IoT) training system, and P10 million for the development of an AI-powered Labor Market Information (LMI) system.

The AI-powered TVET course builder will speed up course development and make it more cost-efficient through automation, minimizing the need for extensive human resources.

It will reduce the time required to develop and update training regulations, competency standards, competency-based curriculum, and competency assessment tools.

The course builder will also ensure that all training materials are of the highest quality, industry-aligned, and relevant to the job market. It seeks to make TVET programs more consistent through standardized course content, assessments, and competencies.

Additionally, it will enable the rapid scaling of TVET programs nationwide to meet the growing demand for skilled workers.

The IoT training system aims to empower students with the skills needed to operate, program, and maintain IoT devices and networks, preparing them for careers in smart technology applications in industrial automation, healthcare, and agriculture, among other fields.

The AI-powered LMI system seeks to leverage AI to identify emerging industry needs, predict workforce shortages, and guide educational institutions in aligning training programs with market demands.

“I believe that accelerating digital transformation and the adoption of artificial intelligence is the way forward when it comes to education, including TVET. By investing in TESDA’s AI adoption and digital transformation, we hope to become more efficient in producing skilled workers that respond to the needs of our economy,” Gatchalian said.