DOLE forges alliance with other agencies to boost skills of senior high school students
By Trixee Rosel
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now working with various government agencies to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the senior high school curriculum and ensure the employability of graduates even before they enter college.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the joint memorandum circulars (JMCs) aim to ensure inclusive, equitable quality education for all across the various levels of education, citing the need for "interagency collaboration."
Other government agencies included in the JMC are the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
“These circulars will serve as tangible evidence of our mission to maximize productive, remunerative, freely chosen, and sustainable work and employment opportunities,” said Laguesma.
Through the JMC, the DOLE will ensure the enrollment of SHS and TVET graduates in the PhilJobnet and the PESO Employment Information System to establish a connection between graduates and potential job openings.
On the other hand, the subsequent joint circular broadens cooperation by involving CHED and the DOLE in the incorporation of TVET into all non-TVET senior high school tracks to enhance students' readiness for the workforce after completing their studies.
Each student in senior high school has the option to select from three distinct tracks, namely academic TVET, sports, and the arts.
The academic track includes three strands: business, accountancy, management (BAM), humanities, education, social sciences (HESS), and science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM).
Laguesma said improving the employability of SHS graduates is a strategy under the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan (PLEP) 2023-2028 to solve employment and skill mismatches and increase Filipinos' earning potential.