The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and Cebu Contractors Association Inc. (CCA) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) which aims to strengthen the construction sector and address unemployment and job-skill mismatch in Cebu.
Under the MOA signed by Tesda Secretary Isidro Lapeña and CCA President Francis Gerard Cañedo for the establishment of an industry board in Central Visayas, the agency shall facilitate the development of training regulations, curricula, assessment tools, expansion of assessment and certification infrastructure and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Program registration with the help of experts from the construction industry.
Lapeña said the partnership will “uncover a lot of opportunities,” as the newly created industry board will serve as the channel of the existing industries in terms of design and implementation of projects, programs, and activities for TVET scholars.
“We will tap the experts in the construction industries in the development and regular review of our training programs to ensure that what we teach in Tesda is at par with international standards.”
He said Tesda will also develop incentives and guidelines that would encourage wider participation of the industry in the implementation of enterprise-based programs.
CCA will provide the necessary labor market information to Tesda in aid of policy and program decisions. It shall also lead and provide experts in analyzing forecasting skills needed for skills development and conduct capability-building interventions for trainers and assessors.
Lapeña noted that establishing an industry board in every region is important as this will encourage participation of partners from the private sector in improving various aspects of TVET in the country.
He added that since his assumption as Tesda director general in 2018, the agency has intensified its efforts in establishing linkages and stakeholders in shaping globally-competitive workers.
“This is our way of ensuring that our actions are harmonized with end-users—that the skills we provide are responsive to the needs and requirements of the industries,” he said.
Lapeña is hoping that the partnership will empower more Filipinos especially those who are in the lower strata of the society. He also lauded CCA for supporting Tesda.
Also present during the MoA signing were CCA Vice President Benedict Uy, Tesda Deputy Director General Lina Sarmiento and Tesda Chief-of-Staff Director Juliet Orozco.
