To contribute to the targeted reforms in the Philippine educational landscape, TESDA XI Regional Office (RO) and RTC-KorPhil Davao discussed TVET challenges, best practices and recommendations to the members of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) yesterday, 20 September 2023 at the Theater Hall of the Center in Buhisan, Tibungco, Davao City.
EDCOM II was created in July 2022 through RA 11899 to initiate improvement to the country’s education system in response to the low performance of Filipino Students in science, mathematics and reading during the 2019 Program for International Students assessments
In the morning, RTC-KorPhil Administrator Engr. Constantino B. Panes Jr. and Regional Operations Division Chief Ms. Myrna C. Roa shared to EDCOM II Commissioners and Advisory Council headed by its Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee, the experiences of the TESDA ONSE in extending technical-vocational education in Davao Region from Institutional-based (IB), Community-Based (CB) and Enterprise-Based Trainings (EBT).
In the afternoon, EDCOM II had a dialogue with the Youth who have finished TVET courses and Youth who are yet to access TVET. Youth who are TESDA graduates, mostly senior high school alumni, talked about challenges they have encountered before and after finishing TVET courses as well as laid down what support they need as they pursue their preferred post-TVET pathways, be it additional education, employment or entrepreneurship.
Of the 28 priority areas of EDCOM II, 4 areas will cover the Tech-Voc education and Training and Lifelong Learning which includes establishment of need-based system to project demands in upskilling workers, industry involvement and investment in upskilling, ensuring quality in TVET provision (IBT, EBT and CBT), and framework for equivalency and recognition of non-formal and informal learning.