The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) is hoping to get a bigger chunk of the P895.2-billion education budget for 2023.
Tesda Director General Danilo P. Cruz revealed on Wednesday that TESDA has P16 billion of the total education budget for this year.
“Para naman on par with the trifocal system of the government, at least it [Tesda budget] should not be less than 10 percent of total education budget. Para on par ‘yung trifocal,” Cruz told reporters on the sidelines of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)’s General Membership Meeting: “Reshaping the Image of TechVoc.”
In line with the allotted budget for the agency, the Tesda chief is hoping to get a bigger chunk of the country’s education budget because the agency doesn’t have ample budget allocated for training capacity, among others.
“Ang daming kailangan na. Even ’yung government agencies ’yung training program nila, kami ang mag–i-implement. ’Yung housing program ng government they need training for program for the people who will build the structure. Eh wala na rin tayong masyadong karpentero at mason,” Cruz said.
The Tesda chief emphasized that in 2022, there were 1.2 million who graduated with technical vocational courses, adding, “Almost 90 percent were assessed and certified.” With this, Cruz noted, “Sobra ang interest ng publiko.”
For 2023, Cruz reiterated that the agency is eyeing to train 1.8 million in various technical vocational courses.
He also said that most of the local and foreign companies are asking for a national skill certification aside from the usual diploma requirement.
“Kaya bumabalik sila kasi diploma lang ang hawak. Walang skills certification,” Cruz stressed.
The Tesda chief pointed out that competition when it comes to hiring talents also lies in having “skills certification” and not solely on obtaining a diploma. “College grad ka nga, wala ka naman skills, expertise,” he said.
As to the courses with high demand in technical vocational courses, Cruz said, “Ang biggest namin ngayon sa Construction. Really may shortage na ng construction workers. Meron nga construction workers, probably lowest in productivity.”
This, he said, was followed by Agriculture and Tourism. On Agriculture, the Tesda chief said, “Binabago na natin ‘yung training kasi hindi na attractive doon sa young people.”
To further its efforts in its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program, Tesda said it has partnered with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) to train unemployed and out-of-school youths through the Youth Works PH Initiative.
The agency said it is also working with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on employment facilitation programs to link TVET graduates to employment opportunities.
