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.