TESDA to offer 200,000 scholarships in 2016

MANILA, Philippines - Over 200,000 youths nationwide can avail themselves of skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in 2016.

TESDA chief Joel Villanueva said they are eyeing at least 231,570 beneficiaries of the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP).

“The additional scholars are possible because of the higher proposed budget for TWSP in 2016,” Villanueva said.

He said the program’s budget increased from P2 billion this year to P2.203 billion next year.

Villanueva said TESDA is eyeing a total of 1,371,687 skilled workers and technical-vocational graduates with its proposed budget of P6.393 billion for 2016. The proposal is 20 percent higher than this year’s P5.3 billion.

The House of Representatives is pushing for a bigger budget for TESDA to allow the agency to fund more scholarships and skills training for the youth, especially in the provinces.

TESDA will receive P200 million for private education student financial assistance, P336.647 million for special training for employment and P711.39 million for bottom-up budgeting.