The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA ; ) serves as the technical vocational education and training (TVET) authority of the Philippines. As a government agency, TESDA's goals are to develop the Filipino workforce with "world-class competence and positive work values" and to manage, supervise, and provide quality technical-educational and skills development through its direction, policies, and programs.“Vision, Mission, Value and Quality Statement.” 2017. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority - TESDA. TESDA. Accessed June 26. http://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/11.
History
Predecessor Technical-Vocational Education was first introduced to the Philippines through the enactment of Act No. 3377, or the "Vocational Act of 1927."Foundations of Education II, Rosalinda A. San Mateo, P.D. and Maura G. Tangco, M.A., Katha Publishing Co., Inc., 2003, page 106 On June 3, 1938, the National Assembly of the Philippines passed Commonwealth Act No. 313, which provided for the establishment of regional national vocational trade schools of the Philippine School of Arts and Trades type, as well as regional national vocational agricultural high schools of the Central Luzon Agricultural High School Type, effectively providing for the establishment of technical-vocational schools around the country.
On June 22, 1963, Republic Act. No. 3742, or "An Act Creating A Bureau of Vocational Education, Defining its Functions, Duties, and Powers, and Appropriating Funds Therefor" was passed, which provided for the creation of a Bureau of Vocational Education (BVE). The creation of the BVE led to the abolishment of the Vocational Education Division of the Bureau of Public Schools. The BVE was created with the purpose of "strengthening, promoting, coordinating, and expanding the programs of vocational education now being undertaken by the Bureau of Public Schools." It was also created "for the purpose of enhancing the socio-economic program of the Philippines through the development of skilled manpower in agricultural, industrial and trade-technical, fishery and other vocational courses."
The Manpower Development Council (MDC) was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 53 on December 8, 1966, which was issued by President Ferdinand Marcos. The MDC was tasked with "developing an integrated long-term manpower plan as a component of the overall social and economic development plan." Targets which were to be established by the said manpower plan were to be "used by the Department of Education and the Budget Commission in programming public investments in education and out-of-school training schemes."
The MDC was eventually replaced by the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), which was created by virtue of Republic Act. No. 5462, or the Manpower and Out-of-School Youth Development Act of the Philippines. The NMYC was placed under the Office of the President, and was charged with establishing a "National Manpower Skills Center under its authority and supervision for demonstration and research in accelerated manpower and youth training." It was also tasked with establishing "regional and local training centers for gainful occupational skills," as well as adopting "employment promotion schemes to channel unemployed youth to critical and other occupations." Republic Act No. 5462 was eventually repealed by Presidential Decree No. 422, otherwise known as the Labor Code, on May 1, 1974.
President Marcos, on September 29, 1972, issued Presidential Decree No. 6-A, or the "Educational Development Decree of 1972," which highlighted the government's educational policies and priorities at the time. The decree also provided for the "establishment and/or operation, upgrading or improvement of technical institutes, skills training centers, and other non-formal training programs and projects for the out-of-school youth and the unemployed in collaboration with the programs of the National Manpower and Youth Council."
The 1975 reorganization of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports led to the abolishment of the Bureau of Vocational Education, along with the Bureau of Public Schools and the Bureau of Private Schools. In their place, the Bureau of Elementary Education, the Bureau of Secondary Education and the Bureau of Higher Education were established. The responsibilities of the Bureau of Vocational Education were absorbed by the newly established Bureau of Secondary Education.
Eventually, the Education Act of 1982 paved the way for the creation of the Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE). The BTVE was tasked to "conduct studies, formulate, develop and evaluate post-secondary vocational-technical programs and recommend educational standards for these programs," as well as to "develop curricular designs and prepare instructional materials, prepare and evaluate programs to upgrade the quality of teaching and non-teaching staff, and formulate guidelines to improve the physical plant and equipment of post-secondary vocational-technical schools."
Establishment of TESDA
The Philippine Congress enacted Joint Resolution No. 2 in 1990, effectively creating the Congressional Commission for Education or EDCOM. The commission was tasked to review and assess the education and manpower training system of the country. Among the recommendations of the commission was the establishment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), a government agency tasked with developing and overseeing the country's vocational and technical education programs and policies.Foundations of Education II, Rosalinda A. San Mateo, P.D. and Maura G. Tangco, M.A., Katha Publishing Co., Inc., 2003, pages 114-115 The commission further recommended that the new agency be created as a fusion of the following offices: the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), and the Apprenticeship Program of the Bureau of Local Employment of DOLE. Subsequently, the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796, or the "Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994," authored by Senators Francisco Tatad and Edgardo Angara led to the establishment of the present-day TESDA. RA 7796 was signed into law by President Fidel Ramos on August 25, 1994.
The merger of the aforementioned offices was meant to reduce bureaucratic oversight on skills development activities initiated by the private and the public sector and to provide a single agency that will take charge of the country's technical vocational and training (TVET) system. Hence, a major thrust of TESDA is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan provides for a reformed industry-based training program that includes apprenticeship, dual training system and other similar schemes.
Further reforms The National Training Center for Technical Education and Staff Development (NTCTESD) and its administration were transformed from the authority of the then-Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to TESDA by virtue of Executive Order No. 337, which was issued by President Fidel V. Ramos on May 17, 1996. The transfer was done in accordance with R.A. 7796, which effectively transferred the DECS' responsibility of administering the technical-vocational education and training to TESDA. This necessitated the transfer of the administration of the NTCTESD from the DECS to TESDA.
On September 15, 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 358, which provided for the "institutionalization ladderized interface between Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education (HE)." It further mandates that TESDA and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) "develop and implement a unified national qualifications framework that establishes equivalency pathways and access ramps for easier transition and progression between TVET and higher education. The framework shall include the following mechanisms:"
Executive Order No. 75, issued by President Benigno Aquino III on April 30, 2012, designated the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) as the "single administration in the Philippines responsible for oversight in the implementation of the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers." Prior to the executive order, TESDA had the power to issue the Certificate of Competence for Ratings by virtue of Executive Order No. 242, s. 2000.
President Rodrigo Duterte's Executive Order No. 1, issued on June 30, 2016, effectively placed TESDA and other government agencies under the supervision of the Cabinet Secretary. The executive order mandates that the agencies mentioned "shall primarily evaluate existing poverty reduction programs and, if deemed necessary, formulate a more responsive set of programs complementing existing ones, channeling resources as necessary to reduce both the incidence and magnitude of poverty." Other duties and responsibilities have also been ascribed to the concerned agencies by this executive order.
Through an order by President Duterte, it was placed under the Department of Trade and Industry on October 31, 2018, following the reorganization of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary. In September 2022, it was reverted to the Department of Labor and Employment as an attached agency through an executive order by his successor Bongbong Marcos.
Benefits Graduating from the programs given by TESDA will ensure the trainee a National Certificate from TESDA Assessment that comes with benefits that include a quality assurance that the graduate has acquired proper knowledge and an understanding of the task at hand from undergoing a series of practical and hands-on demonstrations, positive attitudes from interviews with people who contribute to the job and work projects. Not only that, but the certificate will also guarantee that the graduate has acquired the values that can help his/her skills needed for the said occupation and for future opportunities that can follow from the success of the current project.
Current labor force The labor force participation rate (LFPR) of TVET graduates accounted for 74.5% of all graduates.2011 Impact Evaluation Study of TVET Programs. 2011. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority - TESDA. TESDA. Retrieved July 9, 2017, from http://www.tesda.gov.ph/uploads/File/IES/Executive%20Summary%20of%202011%20IES.pdf Graduates of scholar programs, though, had an LFPR of 75.9% than the 71.9% LFPR of regular TVET-program graduates. In terms of delivery mode, enterprise-based program graduates had the highest LFPR (89.1%) while community-based programs had the lowest LFPR (71.7%).
The overall employment rate of TVET graduates was 60.9% in 2011. The region having the highest employment rate is CAR (82.8%), followed by Region VII (74.1%) and IV-B (71.4%). Also, TVET graduates of scholarship programs had an employment rate of 61.7% as compared to TVET graduates of regular programs (59.1%). Again, in terms of delivery mode, enterprise-based programs had the highest employment rate (83.1%) while community-based programs had the lowest (56.4%). Out of all training providers, TESDA's graduates had the highest employment rate (67.9%). 39.8% of the employed TVET graduates had an average monthly income of 5000-9999 pesos while 27.7% are earning more than 10000 pesos. 21.5% are earning less than 5000 pesos a month.