MANILA — Senator Joel Villanueva is pressing the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to move Filipino workers beyond entry-level NC I and NC II certifications, saying technical-vocational training must lead not only to employment but to higher qualifications, better-paying jobs and improved incomes.
TESDA reported that of its 1.45 million graduates, only about 1 percent attained NC Level 5 or diploma-level qualifications, while 93 percent held NC I or NC II certifications. Although TESDA posted an 81-percent employment rate among its graduates, Villanueva noted that many remain in jobs paying below the prevailing minimum wage.
“We cannot keep training workers only for entry-level jobs when industries increasingly demand advanced technical skills, specialization, and supervisory capabilities,” said Villanueva, former TESDA director general.
“If we want our Filipino workers to level up, TESDA must move up with them,” he added.
EDCOM 2 has separately found that the Philippine TVET (technical vocational education and training) system faces persistent quality assurance challenges, including outdated Training Regulations, inconsistent competency-based learning materials, and shortages of qualified personnel in high demand fields.
The Commission’s recent research likewise found mismatches between training programs and industry standards, limited recognition of certifications, and the lack of private sector involvement in training, assessment and certification.
Villanueva said the EDCOM 2 findings reinforce the need for TESDA to expand and strengthen programs at higher qualification levels, particularly those aligned with industries requiring specialized and advanced competencies.
“The question should no longer be simply, ‘How many did we train?’ We should be asking: How many became certified? How many moved to higher qualifications? How many obtained jobs that match their skills? And how many saw their incomes improve?” Villanueva said.
“Employment alone is not the finish line. If a graduate is employed but remains trapped in low-paying work, then we have to ask whether the training is really giving that worker a pathway to better opportunities and better lives,” Villanueva said. (UnliNews Online)
