THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority vowed to improve its programs next year to better respond to the needs, demands and expectations of the industry and learners.

TESDA Director General Danilo Cruz said that the country’s technical vocational education and training needs will be rebranded to improve its image.

“TESDA needs to intensify the promotion of TVET as a viable path for post-secondary education,” he said.

Among the innovative programs TESDA will implement are the nationwide roll-out of e-certificates, institutionalization of micro-credentialing and recognition of prior learning, and the possible integration of Tesda’s Registry of Certified Workers and Department of Labor and Employment’s PhilJobNet.

It will also continue to pursue the establishment of innovation centers, the expansion of the TESDA Online Program and the Enterprise-Based Training Programs.

These programs are in support of the administration’s priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, health, IT-BPM, creative industries, energy and construction.

“There is a challenge to pursue transformation for Philippine TVET to remain resilient, accessible, and inclusive. Everything must be digitalized and automated to keep up with the ever-changing requirements of the industries,” Cruz said.

The agency, together with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry, will establish a mechanism that will provide job facilitation/technical assistance to TVET graduates.

“We’ll encourage more partnerships with organizations and other government agencies to contribute in improving the employability and working conditions of our graduates, and eventually help address the job-skills mismatch in the country,” Cruz said.