THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority seeks to boost its collaboration with government, academia and business groups to address the skills gap in the country’s workforce.

TESDA Director-General Suharto Mangudadatu highlighted the importance of industry collaborations to develop globally competitive Filipino workers during the Knowledge Exchange Forum on Competency Standards Development in Makati City.

“The establishment of a robust labor market information system is vital for aligning technical training with industry demands to facilitate a seamless job-matching process. With our newly launched National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan for 2023-2028,” Mangudadatu said.

“We count on greater cooperation with industry stakeholders in producing LMI to guide the implementation of area-based and demand-driven TVET programs,” he added.

The forum aims to share international good practices, particularly from the United Kingdom and the Philippines on the use of labor market information for skills needs assessment.

During the forum, business associations from high-value sectors such as analytics and AI, Information Technology Business Process Outsourcing, agricultural manufacturing, and construction shared their insights on the importance of industry participation in skills development and the alignment of curriculum with industry skills needs using LMI.

“By harnessing industry-driven insights we can better inform labor policies and bolster our ability to build a better skills training system that empowers workers and support their career growth. This, in turn, translates into a more resilient and thriving labor force driving growth and prosperity for the country,” ILO Country Office for the Philippines Director Khalid Hassan said.