MANILA – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) noted on Tuesday the importance of collaborating with the industry in improving technical and vocational education and training or TVET.
“We emphasize that collaboration and partnership are important to address skills mismatch,” TESDA-National Capital Region (NCR) Director Cariza Dacuma said in a forum in Quezon City.
Partnering with the industry enables TESDA to know their needs, she added.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, TESDA Partnerships and Linkages Office Director Floramel Joy Songsong said TESDA has a total of 3,421 partnerships as of Dec. 16. Majority or 3,017 of these are collaboration with the industry.
According to Songsong, TESDA does not have a specific number of partnerships targeted for 2025.
“However, with the implementation of the EBET (Enterprise-Based Education and Training) Harmonization Act (Republic Act 12063) and the establishment of Industry TVET Board for the 10 key employment generator sectors, we anticipate wider engagement of the industry in TVET for 2025 in EBET program implementation; development of competency standards, curriculums and assessment tools utilizing the Adopt-Adapt strategy; and in Industry-Based Assessment and Certification System,” she said.
The 10 priority sectors are information and communications technology, construction, tourism, creatives, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, health, education, agriculture, and energy.
Adopt-Adapt strategy means if the industry already has developed standards or training modules and TESDA does not have these, the agency will adopt and have these registered.
If the modules were already developed in TESDA but the industry has a more advanced technology or specific requirement, TESDA will adapt the industry modules, Songsong explained.
“With the signing of the EBET Harmonization Act, considered a game-changer legislation, we at TESDA are hopeful that more industries will be encouraged to participate in creating a TVET ecosystem that is conducive to the development of highly skilled and globally competitive Filipino workforce, she said.
Meawhile, Dacuma shared that TESDA-NCR has forged 264 partnerships from 2022 to 2024.
Majority or 192 of these are with the industries, 34 are collaboration with national government agencies, and 38 with non-government organizations. (PNA)