The employability of technical vocational education and training (TVET) graduates has increased in 2021, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) reported Tuesday, May 31.
"We made improvements in the employability of tech-voc graduates," TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña said during the Duterte Legacy Summit in Pasay City.
From 70.51 percent in 2020, he said, the employment rate of tech-voc graduates rose to 78.57 percent in 2021.
"This means that 7 out of 10 tech-voc graduates were employed after their training despite the pandemic," said Lapeña.
In the years prior to the current administration, he said, the employment rate of TVET graduates ranges from 60 to 66 percent.
"It is worthy to note that the employment of 68.58 percent in 2018 remarkably increased to 84.15 percent in 2019," Lapeña said.
He also reported that together with their partner private tech-voc institutions, more than 11.6 million Filipinos enrolled in tech-voc education and more than 10.8 million graduated.
"In six years time, 7.1 million Filipinos were also granted their TESDA national certificates," said Lapeña.
During the enhanced community quarantine, he said, they noticed an unprecedented spike in the number of registration in the TESDA online program.
Lapeña added that the people's interest in learning various skills online continues up to this day with more than three million Filipinos availing of free courses in the TOP.
Under the present administration, he said, almost 35,000 repatriated OFWs including their dependents had also enrolled in their free techvoc programs and more than 30,000 graduated.
Lapeña added that around 19,000 were also certified as skilled workers.
"The President's promise of free TVET has been instrumental in equipping milions of Filipinos with the right skills for a job or a livelihood after their training. That is the contribution of TESDA for the Duterte legacy," he said.