TESDA chief to students: Take up voc-tech skills

MANILA, Philippines - Instead of being idle this summer, the Technical Educational and Development Authority on Monday urged students to take up technical-vocational studies or training after finishing high school.

He also  called on the parents of high school graduates to encourage and support their children who want to get into tech-voc, saying that it would be a worthy investment.

"Many graduates look to college after high school and wait for the school year opening in June or August. Instead of spending idle months, they may enroll in a tech-voc course that interests them," TESDA director general Joel Villanueva said.

"I urge our youth to find the means to be productive. Being a tambay (idle) after high school is not totally cool," he added.

Villanueva said that this early, high school graduates should begin mapping out their career path, knowing what they want to learn, and how to get there.

Graduates should think out of the box and see beyond the traditional college course education.

"It's not always college education equals job equals success.  Jobs come easy when one possesses the knowledge and skills relevant to what the industries and employers need," he said.

Villanueva said that graduates should also think global and learn things that will open up a wide array of employment opportunities.

As the government agency mandated to promote technical vocational education and training, TESDA and its network of public and private institutions offer a host of courses that can be completed in a short period of time; some even in less than a month .

Currently, there are close to 20,000 programs in these institutions that are registered with the agency.

In partnership with companies, TESDA also has apprenticeship programs that involve actual work exposure and prepare the youth to the world of work.

Villanueva said that most of the universities and colleges will begin the new school year in June, while some like the Ateneo de Manila University and several campuses of the University of the Philippines will embark on a new school year opening in August.

"This gives the graduates three to five months of free time, which can be used productively to enroll in a tech-voc course," Villanueva said.