Policy Notes:
AMDev Meeting with TESDA Director
General Francisco Benitez

25 September 2024 – The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development (AMDev) Alliance, USAID Philippines, UNILAB Foundation, Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) – Jobs, and Private Sector Skills Corporation (PCORP) met with the newly appointed TESDA Director General Francisco Benitez. DG Kiko talked about his priorities for the next six months – employment generation and employability of technical and vocational graduates. He also emphasized TESDA’s commitment to work with the industry to provide training programs adapted to the demands of industry and improve the quality of education to provide clear career progression for graduates.  

AMDev Chief-of-Party Danilo Lachica highlighted AMDev’s unique proposition as an industry-led and industry-demanded program aimed at upskilling and reskilling the Filipino workforce. To date, AMDev has developed ten Competency Standards and Competency-Based Curriculum for the technicians and operations in the manufacturing sector. The program is also slated to develop the Philippine Skills Framework (PSF) on the electronics and pharmaceutical industries and align this with the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) for seamless integration between formal and informal education systems. 

PSAC’s Alfredo Ayala and PCORP’s Josephine Romero shared their partnership with DepEd to extend Senior High School work immersion from 80 to 600 hours. This agreement aims to provide quality workforce experience for SHS and Alternative Learning System students in electronics and maritime industries, with the goal of improving their job readiness and employability.

Senate Bill No. 2587 or the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework (EBET) Act has recently been passed in both houses, and is now awaiting the President’s signature. This bill aims to build a globally competitive and skilled workforce through training and apprenticeship with the industry, to effectively address the job-skills mismatch of the country. 

To know more about AMDev and its training opportunities, or join conversations with TESDA on TVET, you may reach out to our AMSC Director Patricia Siriban at patricia.siriban@mbc.com.ph. 

Participants: 

Director General Kiko Benitez, TESDA

Director El Cid Castillo, TESDA 

Michelle Chen, USAID Philippines

Joey Ochave, UNILAB Foundation

Josephine Romero, Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corporation (PCORP)

Alfredo Ayala, PSAC Jobs

Danilo Lachica, AMDev 

Catherine Racho, AMDev

Gonzalo Serafica, CISTEM