The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority on Wednesday unveiled its long-term plans for thwarting poverty by increasing the marginalized sector’s access to technical vocational education and training (TVET).
“We will seek out those who have been neglected and have experienced little or no attention from the government, introduce them to skills training, and help them realize their potential to be productive members of society,” Tesda director general, Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong, told a news conference.
Through a two-pronged thrust of TVET for Global Competitiveness and TVET for Social Equity, the government agency largely known for setting training standards in the country and producing globally competitive workers through quality training, plans to offer more training services to the urban and rural poor, to farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous people, women, rebel returnees/combatants, drug dependents, repatriated overseas Filipino workers, out-of-school youth, micro, small and medium enterpreneurs, family businessmen, and local government units.
“We will continue to offer and promote our industry-led and widely recognized programs and services but we will make more of these services available to those who need them the most,” Mamondiong said.
With the training given by more than 4,000 TVET providers in the country, Tesda will use approaches such as community-based training, expanded scholarships, a Mobile Training Program, the Tesda Online Program, Barangay Empowerment thru TVET, Compact Mobile Units and Onsite Training and Assessment.
The Authority’s 12-point Reform and Development Agenda for the next six or more years include: Technical Audit; Linkages with Government Schools and Training Institutions; a Drug Dependents Training Program; a Barangay Skills Training Program; a Moral Renewal Program; Linkages with Foreign Skills Training Institutions; Global Access to the List of TVET Graduates and Certified Workers; a Continuing Program for Tesda Alumni; an Expanded Training Program for Women; Special Skills Training for Individual and Family Enterprises; the Establishment of On-line Scholarship Application and; Transparency.
Mamondiong said the agenda is the framework on which programs for expanded access to TVET by the identified groups would be implemented. The planned steps, he said, would require very close coordination with relevant government agencies (such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine National Police), local government units, social organizations and private training centers.
“This administration’s urgent call for crime and poverty reduction and nationalistic value renewal is one that should be heeded by the entire country. Through the TVET, we plan to reach even the most isolated communities in the archipelago,” Mamondiong said.
The Authority recently partnered with the Mindanao State University System to offer more TVET programs in the Southern Philippines.