THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority has renewed its commitment to continue strengthening the tech-voc sector of the country and produce globally competitive and multi-skilled Filipino workers.

TESDA Director General Suharto Mangudadatu shared that the agency has made significant strides in uplifting Filipinos’ lives through skills training and livelihood programs.

“Moving forward, we are committed to expanding TESDA’s reach, ensuring that more Filipinos, especially in rural areas, have access to quality technical education and skills training,” Mangudadatu said.

In his third State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. asserted the significance of technical vocational education and training in sustaining the country’s employment rate by equipping Filipinos with job-ready skills and industry-demand-based training.

“Statistics do not lie. Eight out of ten graduates of TVET ultimately land decent jobs. So with its high employability rate, TVET will definitely be instrumental in capacitating our people, and in maintaining our employment rate at consistently high levels,” the President said.

President Marcos also shared that TESDA, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Commission on Higher Education have partnered to embed TVET into all Senior High School tracks to equip the youth with industry-relevant skills and knowledge that will significantly enhance SHS learners’ workforce readiness and employability.

“Cognizant of its potential, the DepEd, CHED, DOLE, and TESDA have joined forces now to incorporate TVET in the Senior High School curriculum to further boost the employability of our students,” the President added.

Meanwhile, Mangudadatu shared TESDA’s achievements in uplifting the lives of Filipinos. In 2023, TESDA has tallied 1,633,393 enrollees, of which, 1,428,728 have graduated in various courses.

Further, the agency has also tallied a high certification rate of 93.29 percent wherein 973,563 out of 1,043,601 were certified as skilled workers.

TESDA also recently launched the “TESDA Sa Barangay” program to bring skills training programs closer to Filipinos. Under this initiative, TESDA encourages and supports local government units to offer lower-level tech-voc training programs, specifically those with National Certificate levels I and II. This enables TESDA to focus on providing more Diploma programs and higher-level TVET qualifications.

Additionally, TESDA will deliver capacity-building programs to barangay workers through community-based training sessions.

To ensure that the country’s tech-voc sector is aligned with the industry requirements and remains at par with international standards, TESDA continues to partner with local and international TVET stakeholders through collaborations and agreements.

TESDA also launched in August 2023 the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan 2023-2028 which serves as the national blueprint of the TVET sector for the next five years.

“By investing in our people’s skills and capabilities, we are building a stronger, more resilient Philippines ready to face the challenges of the future,” the TESDA chief said.