EIGHT out of 10 technical-vocational graduates get employment after finishing their course, a recent study by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority showed.

Based on the preliminary results of the 2022 Study on Employment of Technical Vocational Education Training graduates, the TVET sector has posted an employment rate of 84.72 percent.

The study also revealed that TESDA posted a certification rate of 93 percent or 751,500 out of 808,227 successfully earned their National Certificates in their respective qualifications.

The SETG is conducted annually to measure the relevance and effectiveness of TESDA’s tech-voc programs.

TESDA said that it has further expanded the public’s access to TVET and reports that as of November 2022 some 1,075,600 enrolled in various tech-voc courses of which 1,024,266 have already graduated.

Director General Danilo Cruz said these graduates are job-ready and equipped with the right skills and knowledge that will help them land jobs or engage in livelihood ventures almost immediately after graduation.

Cruz, who assumed TESDA’s leadership last July 20, attributed this high TVET output and utilization rate to the decentralization of the allocation of scholarship funds to the regional, provincial and district levels giving TESDA executives a wider discretion to decide.

According to him, TESDA is also prioritizing TVET in the agriculture sector and shared that the agency allocated 30 percent of its total scholarship budget to the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector

“TESDA regards the agriculture sector as among the most important in the country. We must ensure that a steady supply of well-trained workers, equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge is available. This will also help the country achieve food security,” Cruz said.