More Filipino students turning to technical-vocational education

Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva. tesda.gov.ph photo

More Filipino students have turned to technical-vocational education and training (TVET) for employment this year compared to previous years.

From 1.5 million enrollees in 2011 and another 1.5 million in 2010, the number of TVET students spiked to 1.7 million this year.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) reported that some 1.7 million students enrolled in the various public and private TVET institutes nationwide from Jan. to Nov. 30 this year.

Not yet counting the December enrollment, the figure has already exceeded Tesda’s target this year by 10 percent.

However, only about half of the 1.7 million tech-voc students were able to make the cut and be certified as specialists in their specific skill.

Out of 1.7 million enrollees, only about 1.5 million students finished their course.

From the 1.5 million graduates, 935,230 individuals took the assessment.

Of these, only 803,350 were certified in their respective technical skill.

“Our graduates still have to go out and compete in the labor market for employment. But if they’re going to have a better shot, they need to have specialized and valuable skills,” Tesda Director-General Joel Villanueva said in his yearend report to Malacañang.