Press Release
August 25, 2022

Villanueva to employers: Hire tech-voc grads, help spur economy

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva exhorted employers and companies to invest in technical vocational graduates as he pitched for their continuous training to match the skills demand of industries.

"Our technical vocational education is among the best in the world. We have a pool of talent who can get every job done," he said as the country celebrates National Tech-Voc Day.

The August 25 event was institutionalized with the enactment into law of Republic Act No. 10970 which Villanueva authored.

"Job-ready and adept in their field, tech-voc graduates hold a vast potential in contributing to our way out of the pandemic," he added.

Villanueva said that for every person hired, a family is given the opportunity to rise out of poverty and prosper.

"Dreams put on hold when the pandemic struck will now become a possibility," he said.

The senator said the country is faced with the challenge of finding employment for its population as businesses are still finding their footing after the pandemic-induced economic slump.

The Philippine Statistics Authority data showed the jobless rate in June 2022 reached 6 percent or 2.99 million Filipinos.

While millions are on the lookout for jobs, the Commission on Population and Development said the country needs at least six million effective workers to address the population of consumers.

Villanueva said the country has a good number of people in the workforce, including senior citizens and retirees.

"When it comes to work, ability over age should matter," Villanueva said.

"We should exert all efforts to hone or teach new skills to our elderly to make them employable anew," he said.

He urged the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which he formerly heads, to continuously involve the private sector in providing skills training to boost the graduates' chances of getting hired.

One of the bills filed by Villanueva in the 19th Congress, Senate Bill No. 363 or the proposed Enterprise-based Education and Training to Employment Act, seeks to strengthen tech-voc education by incorporating apprenticeship and dual training systems and giving continuous skills enhancement to the unemployed.

Villanueva said there is a need to strengthen private sector participation in tech-voc education and training through enterprise-based training not only to resolve job-skills mismatch but also to ensure adequate supply of relevant skills that industries need.

"The bill can help the government continue to meet the changing needs of the market and put in place good governance mechanisms that can expand partnership with industry associations and companies through enterprise-based training," he said.

"The measure will also prove that our graduates are job-ready. Tech-voc training is one of the best public-private partnerships we can have," he added.


Tech-voc grads, susi sa paglago ng ekonomiya - Villanueva

Hinikayat ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva ang mga negosyo na mamuhunan sa mga technical vocational graduates, habang sinusulong niya ang patuloy na training ng mga graduate para maitugma ang kanilang skills ayon sa pangangailangan ng industriya.

"Our technical vocational education is among the best in the world. We have a pool of talent who can get every job done," sabi ng senador sa pagdiriwang ng National Tech-Voc Day.

Si Villanueva ang principal author at sponsor ng Republic Act No. 10970 na nagtatalaga sa ika-25 Agosto ng bawat taon bilang National Tech-Voc Day.

"May malaking potensyal ang mga tech-voc graduates na mai-ahon tayo mula sa pandemya dahil sila ay job-ready at may kasanayan sa kanilang larangan," sabi niya.

Sinabi rin ni Villanueva na may oportunidad ang bawat pamilya na umahon sa kahirapan sa bawat Pilipinong magkakaroon ng trabaho.

"Dreams put on hold when the pandemic struck will now become a possibility," sabi ng senador.

Sinabi ni Villanueva na humaharap sa pagsubok ang bansa sa paghahanap ng trabaho para sa mga mamamayan nito dahil bumabangon pa lang ang mga negosyo mula sa pandemya.

Iniulat ng Philippine Statistics Authority na umabot sa 6 porsyento ang employment rate ng Pilipinas noong Hunyo 2022, na katumbas sa 2.99 milyong Pilipinong walang trabaho.

Ayon naman sa Commission on Population and Development, kailangan ng dagdag na 6 milyong manggagawa upang masuportahan ang dami ng mga consumers sa bansa.

Sinabi ni Villanueva na maraming nais makapagtrabaho sa workforce ng bansa, kabilang na ang mga senior citizens at mga retirado.

"Pagdating sa trabaho, abilidad at hindi edad dapat ang mangibabaw," aniya.

"Bigyan at hasain natin ang skills ng ating senior citizens upang magkaroon sila muli ng kakayanan na magkaroon ng trabaho," dagdag niya.

Inudyok ni Villanueva ang Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) na ipagpatuloy ang paglahok ng private sector sa mga skills training program ng ahensya upang mas mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga tech-voc graduates na magkatrabaho.

Inihain ni Villanueva ang Senate Bill No. 363 na Enterprise-based Education and Training to Employment Act upang palakasin ang tech-voc education and training (TVET) sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng apprenticeship at dual training system, at patuloy na skills enhancement para sa mga walang trabaho.

Sinabi ng senador na kailangang palakasin ang partisipasyon ng pribadong sektor sa TVET upang matugunan ang job-skills mismatch at masiguro na may sapat na supply ng relevant skills na kailangan ng mga industriya.

"Tinutugunan ng panukalang batas ang mga nagbabagong pangangailangan ng merkado. Naglalagay din ito ng mga mekanismo na magpapalawak ng mga partnership sa mga industriya at kumpanya para sa enterprise-based training," aniya.

"Gawin nating job-ready ang ating mga graduates. Tech-voc training is one of the best public-private partnerships we can have," sabi ni Villanueva.

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