‘K+12 requires more Tech-Voc teachers’

CEBU, Philippines - Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Joel Villanueva yesterday said that with the full implementation of the K to 12 program of education, more trainers and assessors would be needed to teach technical-vocational (Tech-Voc) courses to students.

“Right now, we are filling the demand for assessors. The bigger challenge is the full implementation of  K to 12 program,” he told reporters.

He said one assessor is needed for every 200 to 300 Tech-Voc graduate and each year 1.8 million enrollees are expected plus 1.7 million graduates.

Apart from meeting the new education curriculum, Villanueva said the Tech-Voc sector is booming, which means demand for trainers and assessors is also increasing and slowly erasing the Tech-Voc stigma of  its certificate being lower than a college diploma.

“Our employment  rate for 2013 rose to 62 percent whereas during the time of  the previous administration…it was only 28 percent. We are hoping and praying that we can sustain this with about 1.2 million new entrants each year,” he said.

In preparation for the K+12’s full implementation next year, a “massive” number of trainings have been conducted, “equipping” trainers and assessors to better cater to students taking Tech-Voc courses as part of the new primary education curriculum.

TESDA allotted P77 million for the community-based program in Central Visayas, with P30 million of the amount set aside for Cebu province.

Villanueva was in Cebu City yesterday to attend the graduation of Tech-Voc students of School of Knowledge for Industrial Leadership and Service (SKILLS) in Cebu City at the old Sacred Heart School for Boys building.

Of  the 56 graduates, 23, who were Rotary Club of Cebu West scholars, received certificates for masonry-tile setting; eight were for the reinforced steel bar installation NC II, who were under the SKILLS “train now pay later program;” 20 were certified with household services NC II, still under the train now pay later scheme;  two were walk-in graduates for housekeeping NC II; and the remaining four were walk-in students of heavy equipment operations. (FREEMAN)