Gatchalian flags: Top TESDA programs don't align with fastest growing sector

Programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) with the highest enrollment do not align with the most in-demand jobs until 2025, Senator Gatchalian flagged.

According to the Jobs and Labor Market Forecast of the Department of Labor and Employment-Bureau of Local Employment (DOLE-BLE) and the TESDA Skills Need Anticipation Survey, the sectors that will be driving employment until 2025 are the information technology business process management (IT-BPM), construction, logistics, agriculture, and health.

Using data from TESDA, the senator's office was able to break down and analyze 2022 Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) enrollment by sector. The top five sectors with the highest enrollment in TVET are agriculture, forestry, and fishery (18.3%), tourism (16%), programs with no training regulations (14.7%), automotive and land transportation (9.6%), and social, community development and other services (8.3%).

"None of the top five most popular courses offered by TESDA are aligned with industries that will grow in the next three to five years. Again, we see a lot of jobs-skills mismatch even at the tech-voc level and this is one aspect that we're also addressing at the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II)," said Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education and EDCOM II Co-Chairperson.

"It's deeply concerning that we provide scholarship programs to our graduates who don't end up in the fastest growing industries of our country," he added.

The senator's office also analyzed data from the June 2021 Labor Force Survey and found out that among senior high school graduates who took the technical-vocational livelihood track, 50.6% are employed in elementary occupations. According to Gatchalian, this is a departure from the promise of the senior high school program to produce employable graduates.

One of Gatchalian's proposals to boost the work readiness of senior high school graduates is the Batang Magaling Act (Senate Bill No. 2367). The proposed measure seeks to ensure that senior high school graduates are well-prepared for their chosen paths whether it's higher education, middle-skills development, employment, or entrepreneurship. The proposed measure also seeks to provide free national competency assessments to the Department of Education's senior high school learners.

Gatchalian: Mga pangunahing programa ng TESDA hindi angkop sa mga lumalagong sektor

Pinuna ni Senador Win Gatchalian na hindi tugma ang mga programa ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) na may pinakamataas na enrollment sa mga pinaka-in-demand na trabaho hanggang 2025.

Ayon sa Jobs and Labor Market Forecast ng Department of Labor and Employment-Bureau of Local Employment (DOLE-BLE) at TESDA Skills Need Anticipation Survey, ang mga sektor ng information technology business process management (IT-BPM), construction, logistics, agriculture, at health ang inaasahang lalago at lilikha ng pinakamaraming trabaho hanggang 2025.

Gamit ang datos ng TESDA, sinuri ng tanggapan ng senador ang Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) para sa 2022. Lumalabas na ang limang sektor na may pinakamataas na enrollment sa TVET ay ang agriculture, forestry, and fishery (18.3%), tourism (16%), programs with no training regulations (14.7%), automotive and land transportation (9.6%), at social, community development and other services (8.3%).

"Wala sa mga pinakapopular na kursong inaalok ng TESDA ang nakahanay sa mga industriya na inaasahang lumago sa susunod na tatlo hanggang limang taon. Muli, nakakakita tayo ng jobs-skills mismatch kahit sa tech-voc at isa ito sa mga nais nating tugunan sa Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II)," ani Gatchalian, Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Basic Education at EDCOM II Co-Chairperson.

"Nakakabahala na nagbibigay tayo ng mga scholarship programs sa mga graduates na hindi nakakapagtrabaho sa mga lumalagong industriya ng ating bansa," dagdag na pahayag ng senador.

Sinuri din ng tanggapan ng senador ang datos mula sa June 2021 Labor Force Survey at natuklasang sa mga senior high school graduates na kumuha ng technical-vocational livelihood track, kalahati (50.6%) ang nagtatrabaho sa mga elementary occupations. Ayon kay Gatchalian, hindi ito ang ipinangako ng programang senior high school na makapag-produce ng mga graduates na handang magtrabaho.

Isa sa mga panukala ni Gatchalian upang paigtingin ang kahandaang magtrabaho ng mga senior high school graduates ang Batang Magaling Act (Senate Bill No. 2367). Layon ng panukalang batas na tiyaking handa ang mga senior high school graduates sa trabaho, sa negosyo, o sa middle-skills development. Layon din ng panukalang batas na magbigay ng mga libreng national competency assessment sa mga mag-aaral ng senior high school.