TESDA URGED TO AIM BEYOND NC II, GIVE WORKERS PATHWAY TO HIGHER-PAYING JOBS

SENATOR Joel Villanueva called for a stronger push toward higher level technical-vocational qualifications, saying Filipino workers need more than entry level certificates for better paying jobs.

Villanueva made the pitch during the deliberation of the budget of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which bared its report that of its 1.45 million graduates, only one percent have attained a National Certificate (NC) Level 5 or diploma level courses.

Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), where Villanueva serves as co-chairperson, further showed that 93 percent were NC I and NC II holders.

While Villanueva lauded the 81 percent employment rate of TESDA graduates, many were earning below the prevailing minimum wage.

Meanwhile, NC IV and NC V graduates showed higher wage outcomes.

“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TVET (technical vocational education and training) system faces persistent quality assurance challenges, including outdated Training Regulations, inconsistent competency-based learning materials, and shortages of qualified personnel in high demand fields.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.