Choose in-demand courses, students urged

MANILA, Philippines -  To address the prevailing mismatch between available skills and jobs in the country, the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) yesterday urged incoming college students to choose in-demand courses.

“It is important for students to choose their proper course so that they can easily land jobs after graduation,” TESDA secretary general Guiling Mamondiong said.

The country needs graduates from five industries – agribusiness, construction, information technology, health and wellness, and hotel, restaurant and tourism, Mamondiong added.

TESDA provides training programs in agribusiness such as agriculture production and horticulture, while in construction, there is carpentry, masonry and heavy equipment operation.

TESDA programs under information technology are visual graphic design, 2D/3D animation and contact center services.

Under health and wellness, the agency offers training programs in massage therapy, caregiving and beauty care while for the hotel, restaurant and tourism sector, the trainings are in housekeeping, barista, bartending and cookery.

From 1995 up to 2016, TESDA recorded a total of 30,621,180 enrollees in their training programs.

Of the number, 25,434,151 students finished their courses; 11,148,144 others got assessment and 9,167,792 were certified.

The government has long been pushing for technical and vocational training as a solution to the country’s high unemployment due to the mismatch problem.