Tesda brings training programs to barangay

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has launched “Tesda sa Barangay” to bring the agency’s training program closer and accessible at the community level.

In a statement Monday, Tesda chief Suharto Mangudadatu said that the role of local government units (LGUs) is important in delivering technical-vocational training at the barangay level.

“It is my strong belief that our flagship program embodies the League of Municipalities’ overarching vision and commitment towards sustainable development. The ‘Tesda Sa Barangay’ can be one of the strategic pathways for us to convert the global aspirations of the United Nations to local action in our very own municipalities,” Mangudadatu said.

The Tesda Sa Barangay program was introduced during the general assembly of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), on Feb. 27, 2024.

According to Tesda, the implementation of the program is the agency’s strategy to promote and communicate the value of skills training and lifelong learning to encourage LGUs to invest in the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector through the conduct of training programs on lower-level qualifications.

The agency will then develop and offer more diploma programs or higher-level TVET qualifications once the LGUs offer lower-level qualifications.

“TVET should be viewed as an investment to human capital development, as it enhances the people’s employability, productivity, and capacity to pursue employment and livelihood, enabling them to contribute to our local economy and to our society,” Mangudadatu added.

Aside from the Tesda Sa Barangay program, Mangudadatu also said the agency’s initiatives to help the country achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including free skills training and assessment, prioritization of agriculture-related training, embedment of technical-vocational training in senior high school, and the Philippine Credit Transfer System, among others.

Mangudadatu and the LMP national president Mayor Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos of Lapaz has signed a memorandum of understanding during the assembly which formalized the collaboration.