Tesda’s programs should be ‘future-ready’, Yamsuan says

Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The menu of programs under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) should adapt with the rapidly changing digital landscape so Filipino workers would be “future-ready”, Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said on Tuesday.

Yamsuan in a statement said he has filed House Bill (HB) No. 4037 or the proposed Tesda Programs Modernization Act to address the job and skill mismatch issues hounding the workforce today.

Under HB No. 4037, Tesda’s programs would be expanded by also covering digital skills and emerging technologies — including the placement of courses on artificial intelligence (AI), software development and coding, game design, cybersecurity, digital marketing, robotics and 3-D printing.

“Within twelve (12) months from the effectivity of this Act, Tesda shall expand its courses and programs to include emerging technologies and digital skills aligned with the Industry 4.0 and future industrial revolutions, such as but not limited to Artificial Intelligence, software development and coding, game development, cybersecurity, digital marketing and e- commerce, robotics, and 3-D printing,” Yamsuan said in the bill.

“Tesda shall ensure that its courses and programs are reviewed every three (3) years and updated as necessary, to remain responsive to technological advancements, with the goal of future-proofing the Filipino workforce,” the bill added.

According to Yamsuan, the country needs to make sure that Filipino workers remain competitive across the globe, by requiring Tesda to modernize its offerings.

“In this digital age, the labor market is constantly  evolving. We need to make sure that our labor force can always  catch up by mandating TESDA to broaden  its accredited course offerings  to include programs that would arm our workers with ‘future-ready’  skills,” Yamsuan, a member of the House committee on labor and employment, said.

Yamsuan cited the case of his city, Parañaque, noting that there are a lot of available jobs within buildings accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, but applicants fail to meet the standards set by these companies.

“For example, in the City of Parañaque, there are multiple buildings accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, reflecting continued demand for information technology and technology-enabled services.8 However, there are not a lot of opportunities to learn about emerging technologies to access higher-value jobs,” Yamsuan said in the bill’s explanatory note.

“This measure aims to expand Tesda’s accredited programs to modern technological and digital fields. By doing so, it operationalizes the constitutional mandate to give priority to science and technology education, training, and services,” he added.

Yamsuan also pointed out a 2021 report by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, which stated that the current Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs are largely ineffective in curbing underemployment among young people.

The same report also found that six in 10 Filipino workers are employed in elementary or agricultural occupations, and jobs often rely on basic skills.

Yamsuan is not the lone lawmaker who has raised concerns over the adequacy of Tesda’s programs and other higher and technical education offerings.  Last August, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said that part of his priority as the House committee on higher and technical education chairperson is to modernize the Tesda and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) charters.

Acidre explained that updating the two agencies’ charter laws is part of a 10-point higher education reform legislative agenda.

READ: Acidre pushes CHEd, Tesda charter reforms in education agenda 

Last July, nonprofit organization Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said that despite decades of reforms to the education system, the country’s learning crisis has persisted, with the gap between graduates and employment only growing wider and students’ performance as well as teaching quality continuing to decline.

PBEd Executive Director Hanibal Camua said these factors have caused a growing disconnect between education and employment, as graduates struggle to find jobs after graduation.

READ: PBEd: Education crisis persists, jobs gap widens

Yamsuan said the bill seeks to address these findings, and other recommendations by Edcom 2 or the Second Congressional Commission on Education — like a call to prioritize digital technology in terms of working on overseeing curriculum standards.

“All these sectors require our workers to possess technological skills dahil halos lahat ng industriya ngayon ay gumagamit na ng makabagong teknolohiya (because almost all industries today utilize modern technologies),” he added. /jpv