Over 58,000 Filipinos — including youth, women, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities — have benefited from the Skills for Prosperity Programme in the Philippines, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

ILO Country Director Khalid Hassan reported that the program, which is funded by the United Kingdom government since 2019, has improved the equity, quality, and relevance in the Philippines’ technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills systems.

Of the 58,000 beneficiaries, ILO reported that over 7,000 Filipinos directly benefited and over 51,000 indirectly supported, with a majority of them being women.

Collaborating with government agencies, industries, social partners, TVET institutions, and workers, the Skills for Prosperity Programme has successfully elevated their caliber –rendering the country's TVET and skills systems more inclusive, relevant, and future-ready.

The programme conducted pilot initiatives to enhance the skills of trainers, students, and workers in provinces of the Visayas.  The programme’s milestones include enhancing equity by guiding  partners to broaden access to TVET and skills development among marginalized groups.

“We need to ensure that national TVET and skills systems are inclusive and responsive to industry needs. We need to equip workers with the right skills set so they can enjoy better job prospects,” said Hassan. 

Under the program, workers received additional training in their specific areas of expertise, enabling them to search for better paying jobs, locally or internationally.

A carpenter, mason, or plumber, for example, would receive hands-on training that can set them on the road to become master carpenters, master masons, or master plumbers or even entrepreneurs offering construction services. 

“Through the Skills for Prosperity Programme, the UK has contributed significantly to the development of TVET as a pathway for skills development and life-long learning in the Philippines: From 2022, the programme collaborated with TESDA to enable improved capacity of teachers and educators to design learner-centred training in compliance with international standards – benefiting over 1,500 community trainers and employment coordinators for social inclusion in TVET,” said His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Laure Beaufils.

The Skills for Prosperity programme is also a flagship UK global education and skills programme working collaboratively with multiple partner countries, including a dedicated South East Asia programme. 

In the Philippines, the program aims to contribute to increasing national capacity to achieve sustained and inclusive growth through the enhancement of skills development and technical vocational education and training systems.

Beneficiaries range from Abaca farmers and processors from the Akeanon Bukidnon of Libacao, Aklan, and root crop farmers from the Panay Bukidnon of Tubungan, Iloilo. In Basey, Samar, Banig Inc. 's women tikog and buri weavers and dyers were trained while in Cebu, Lapu-lapu, and Mandaue, construction workers were mentored by the Cebu Contractors’ Association.