SENATOR Loren Legarda pushed for the creation of a Department of Technical Education and Training.

In Senate Bill 6, Legarda said the proposed department shall be the primary government agency tasked with the promotion and development of technical education, training, and certification.

Legarda said the measure aims to strengthen the role of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in making sure that it has the means to provide Filipinos skills and knowledge.

“Emerging industries will necessitate institutions of learning and capacity-building a wide scale of response to the changing demand for skills. There is a need to ensure that new initiatives and the right amount of resources will further promote opportunities to address key challenges in the employment sector,” Legarda said.

The lawmaker has been been supportive of TESDA’s programs noting its key role in upskilling Filipino workers.

“TESDA is in a leading position to help the government create an improvement in the lives of the poor, as well as help reduce poverty incidence in the country. Through our coordination with TESDA, government agencies and private organizations collaborate in providing training packages that complement and address the need of a particular community,” Legarda said.

“The introduction of innovative ways to enhance skills and provide additional learning is consistent with TESDA’s objectives of social equity for workforce inclusion and poverty reduction” Legarda added.