THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority renewed its commitment to strengthening the country’s information technology sector, specifically cybersecurity.

TESDA spokesperson and Deputy Director General for TESD Operations Vidal Villanueva III said that the agency is ready to provide necessary training on IT-related courses, which is a significant step in the government’s thrust to encouraging innovation, enhancing connectivity, and driving economic growth.

“We at TESDA believe that by investing in our digital infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth, enhanced innovation, and improved quality of life for all our kababayans,” the TESDA official said.

TESDA recently issued the implementing guidelines on the Diploma Program Standard in Cybersecurity, recognizing cybersecurity’s vital role in ensuring national resilience.

Further, the agency has also developed additional Competency Standards for Cyber Threat Intelligence Analysis Services Level III, Ethical Hacking Level IV, and Cyber Risk Assessment Level III.

Earlier this year, TESDA already rolled out its CS for training programs on cybersecurity: Cyber Threat Monitoring Level I and Cyber Threat Mitigation Level II.

The development of these CS aims to immediately respond to the industry skills requirements for cybersecurity professionals to produce competent individuals equipped with 21st-century skills and are compliant with the existing industry standards and practices.

“TESDA recognizes the importance of staying abreast with technological advancements and the evolving job opportunities in the cybersecurity landscape. We need to equip our learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to counteract such diverse and evolving cyber threats,” the TESDA official said.

It can be recalled that during his third State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. emphasized that “bigger and faster IT infrastructure requires stronger and more impervious cyber-defense”.