Celebrating its 31st anniversary is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on August 25 where it conducted the annual World Café of Opportunities in key sites across the nation. Among the highlights was a jobs fair for Dumagueteños where more than 2,000 job vacancies were made available covering local and overseas employment.
Technical-vocational schools in Negros Oriental likewise participated for enrolment, skills demonstration, livelihood demonstration, and, free skills assessment for certification.
Completers of TESDA courses are also honored through completion or graduation ceremonies. Unlike commencement exercises held in the university and elsewhere for collegiate degree graduates, however, their graduation spells a big difference from previous graduation ceremonies. For one, the graduates are all scholars, thus, their achievement is more meaningful as many, if not all, come from various educational backgrounds and academic endeavors. Moreover, age is not a hindrance for anyone who would want to aspire to get a National Certification (NC) II or III. In fact, this is a skill or qualification added to one’s credentials, and there is nothing to lose, but much to gain. And, unlike regular classes having standard class schedules, TESDA has devised a mechanism where time is learner-friendly to accommodate would-be scholars who may be engaged in other endeavors earlier in the day.
At no other time in our history has the call to re-invent education been felt urgently as it is today. As educators and learners, we are at a time when we are admonished to re-think whether the education we have acquired matches the skills and jobs needed into the future of work and labor.
In our pursuit for a decent life, have we invested in skills to ensure better socio-economic outcomes? Can simple knowledge-sharing sustain us all in the 21st century and beyond? Will we see the day when so-called unsubscribed courses will take the lead and transform what we used to know as Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into skills for so-called green jobs to enhance the employability of workers for the transition to low-carbon economies, thus, promoting a safe and healthy environment?
The decision to take the challenge and responsibility of being an NC II or NC III holder in Animal (Swine) Production, Contact Center Services, Events Management, Bread and Pastry, and the like is certainly well-received. As they have properly invested in such skills, the graduates are sending a message that people should not languish on the margins of society. If we have more skilled Filipinos, technological progress translates into economic growth. If more of our young people would take time to expand their choices of a profession or a career, and consider blue-collar job potentials – which are even more high-paying and in-demand – then, we can compete in an increasingly knowledge-based global society.
We cannot underestimate the need for skills development as a key factor in the employability of workers and the sustainability of enterprises. We can enumerate some benefits of technical training. These are: better chances of employment; higher earning levels; increased job satisfaction; improved flexibility and mobility; lifelong learning; positive influence on children’s education in families; and, provides cognitive, physical, and societal benefits.
The world’s population is younger than ever today, with 1.2 billion people aged 16-24. Providing pathways into the world of work for young people is one of the greatest development challenges of our era. Better training in knowledge, skills, and competencies can help support decent work required for the jobs of today or tomorrow. The provision of relevant job skills can be a robust means of empowering people to seize employment opportunities or equip them for self-employment.
Recognizing the pivotal role of skills training, especially for young people, to increase their chances for employment, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has set a number of ambitious targets under Sustainable Development Goal Number 4 on quality education and Sustainable Development Goal Number 8 on decent work and economic growth.
These targets, among others, are: to ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university; and, to substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
Are these targets possible? These are manageable, doable, and certainly within our means if we put premium on technical-vocational education and training, and the immeasurable gains we can get for ourselves and for the country’s growth.
This is only the beginning of a myriad of opportunities open for these TESDA graduates. No achievement is ever small or insignificant if you have put your heart, mind, and your entire being into doing it and doing it very well. | NWI
