TESDA adopts ‘green tech’ in training

MANILA, Philippines — Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) students will soon undergo skills training using green technology.

TESDA director general Guiling Mamondiong announced that the agency is set to formulate the necessary training regulations for the implementation of skills training and certification under the green economy.

Earlier this week, the agency held a three-day technical and vocational education and training forum and strategic planning on the greening of the TVET system.

TESDA hopes to be able to structure the needed training regulations for the skills training, program registration, assessment and certification in support of the requirements for skilled manpower under the green economy.

“The program aims to facilitate the greening of the TVET system by instilling among stakeholders the deepened appreciation of what green TVET really means and the skills requirements in greening the sectors and the whole economy as well as their respective roles in the process,” Mamondiong said.

TESDA will provide inputs toward developing the strategic plan in greening the TVET system, including the operationalization of the Green Technology Center as the Green Skills Hub of TESDA with the public and private tech-voc institutes as the “spokes” of the implementers of Green TVET.

At this time, Mamondiong said, the TVET sector faces the challenge of how to “green” existing jobs to meet the current demand for retrofitting and retooling of the industry to ensure that these existing industries will continue to grow.

He said TVET must also train new workers with the appropriate green skills, particularly for the renewable industries and emergent green technology sector.

Thus, TESDA is also mounting a “Green Techno Fair” to be participated in by companies involved in green technologies such as solar panels, electric bicycles/tricycles (e-bikes/e-trikes). TVET trainers, assessors and students are expected to join the event.

The International Labor Organization supports the TESDA program through the pilot application of ILO policy guidelines on “Just Transition Toward Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All,” Mamondiong said.

Under the Green Job Act, TESDA has been tasked to coordinate with the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education in providing skills training for the green economy.

In coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, TESDA will help the Department of Labor and Employment in analyzing the needed skills, training and re-training in relation to green technology, which has the potential to create jobs or greener jobs.