Overview
October 08, 2024
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General, Secretary Jose Francisco "Kiko" B. Benitez has laid out his "TESDABest" plan for the agency in a meeting presided over by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. in Malacañang last September 24.
The plan encapsulates his eight-point agenda for his leadership in TESDA.
"The Eight-Point Agenda that I presented to the President is about innovating and transforming our TVET system to become TESDABest. It is about rationalizing TVET programming, optimizing TVET delivery, and maximizing our impact. And ultimately, it is about unlocking the potential of the Filipino to perform the jobs required and demanded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Secretary Benitez said during TESDA's regular flag-raising ceremony on October 7.
Under his leadership, TESDA will implement this plan with the goal of repositioning Philippine TVET to elevate its public perception — not as a "second-rate" education, but as a viable pathway to immediate livelihood and employment opportunities.
"TESDA's policies and plans, and our programming should be demand-driven. Our training programs, our scholarship programs, and our learning delivery should be adapted to the needs of our changing economy, of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," the TESDA chief said.
This effort highlights the need to modernize programs, integrate digital skills, and foster partnerships with industries to ensure that graduates are equipped for the evolving workforce, creating a flexible, future-ready TVET system that meets the needs of both local and global economies.
"We need to catch up with the transformations happening around the world, particularly digital transformation. And we need to catch up quickly. Because our window of opportunity to ride the digital wave is narrow, our window of opportunity is closing," Secretary Benitez emphasized.
It can be recalled that last August 16, President Marcos appointed Secretary Benitez as the 15th Director General of TESDA.
TESDABest 8-point agenda
- Access to TVET · 01 — Expand access to training programs through scholarships and free assessment, to enhance employability of TVET graduates.
- Behavior and Mindset Change · 02 — Cultivate a dynamic organizational culture, instill growth mindset among internal and external stakeholders to enhance efficiency and quality of TVET programs, to change public perception of TVET as "second-rate" education.
- Competency Standards and TRs for New and Higher-Level Qualifications · 03 — Develop training courses for high-skill jobs, and promote workforce agility amidst a changing job market.
- Demand-Driven and Data-Driven TVET · 04 — Strengthen partnership with industry to align training programs with market needs, and enhance labor market intelligence and evidence-based TVET programming.
- Employment Outcomes · 05 — Enhance employability and facilitate employment and career progression of TVET graduates.
- Flexible Learning, and Facilities · 06 — Enable different learning modalities and improve quality of TVET programs through immersive experience and use of adequate facilities and appropriate technology.
- Global Competitiveness, and Good Housekeeping · 07 — Enhance global competitiveness of TVET graduates, by aligning TVET programs with international standards. Improve internal processes to increase efficiency in program implementation.
- Harmonization with SHS Curriculum, Ladderization with Higher Education, and Lifelong Learning Pathways · 08 — Enhance employability of SHS graduates by integrating TVET standards in SHS curriculum, and enable multiple learning and career pathways through ladderization programs.
Infographic titled "TESDABest 8-Point Agenda" showing Secretary Jose Francisco "Kiko" B. Benitez and the eight agenda items with icons. The text in the image has been transcribed into the list above. Logos shown: Bagong Pilipinas and TESDA.