The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) said Sunday it is offering graduates of technical-vocational courses an opportunity to qualify for supervisory jobs.
TESDA said more than 500 higher-level education and training or diploma programs may be availed of in its various training centers nationwide.
The diploma programs offer trainees, graduates and middle-level workers improved chances to qualify for jobs with bigger responsibilities, TESDA said.
Going to college may also be a career path for the trainees, the agency said.
TESDA Director-General Danilo Cruz pointed out that the diploma programs will provide Filipinos, especially those with limited financial capacities, pathways through which they may earn baccalaureate degrees.
Higher-level programs help ensure a steady supply of technicians and technologists for industries, particularly in more advanced countries, he added.
Diploma programs include courses in technical vocational trades, and general education and management.
These programs, which are three years in duration, are aligned with Level 5 of the Philippine Qualifications Framework and aim to produce workers commonly referred to as “technologists.”
TESDA had previously issued guidelines on the diploma programs’ implementation, requiring technical vocational institutions to have partnership arrangements with higher education institutions to facilitate the transfer of students’ academic credits.
This, according to Cruz, allows TESDA’s diploma program graduates to continue their studies in college by having their qualifications and competencies recognized as part of their intended baccalaureate program.
Guidelines were already issued by TESDA to align its diploma programs with the accreditation processes of the Dublin and Sydney Accords, he stressed.
These accords are international agreements that establish the required educational base for engineering technicians and technologists.
Institutions with training programs that are aligned with these standards lay the groundwork for their eventual Dublin and Sydney Accord accreditations, Cruz explained.
Those interested in enrolling in TESDA diploma programs may visit the nearest TESDA Regional Office, addresses for these can be found in the agency’s website: https://tesda.gov.ph/Directory/Regions.