Synchronizing Local Government TVET Programs with Its Economic Directions
Local government units (LGUs) remain among the most valuable implementers of technical-vocational education and training (TVET) program in the Philippines. In 2002, around a third of public expenditures on TVET (or around PhP1.56 billion) came from local government units. ("Investment in the Technical Vocational Education and Training in the Philippines," p. 67; published by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Institute of Educational Planning) Most TVET training conducted by LGUs are short-term courses (ranging from a few hours to several months) and are often along well-known qualifications or occupations such as automotive mechanic, welding and electrical installation and maintenance. TVET courses funded but not directly conducted by LGUs are often along courses whose trainer, equipment and/or supplies requirement are beyond local government budgets such as advanced welding and heavy equipment operation or servicing.
While graduates of these courses are relatively easy to employ both abroad and locally, many LGUs implement these without establishing firm connection between these qualifications and the actual gaps in the local middle level manpower. Thus, LGUs often produce graduates for other areas to employ (by export processing and special economic zones, for example) while ignoring qualifications whose graduates it needs to move forward its own economy. There are several reasons for this, including the failure of the local community training and employment coordinator (or CTEC) to base his community-based training programs to the local investment plan; dogmatic reading of the figures for manpower demand in the provincial technical education and skills development (TESD) plan or absence of any local TESD plan; and the tendency of some local governments to operate their community-based training on auto-pilot.
Local Investment Plan
The local investment plan is a document that ought to be produced by all LGUs of the Philippines. This document indicates, among others, the development strategies that the local government will adopt during the next several years, together with budget allocation, the source of the budget, the timeline for implementing activities along each strategy, the expected outcomes and the legislative support that will be needed. The document also indicates (at least in broad terms) particular industries that will be promoted within certain cluster areas, and thus is a good guide for finding out what community-based trainings will be needed. This however, should be done after consulting with other local development documents such as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the local tax code, the executive and legislative agenda together with current employment and labor force data.
TESD Plan
Every now and then, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA produces the TESD plan which indicates gaps in the manpower for specific industries for the next three years or so. The TESD plan, however, is not meant to provide the exact or actual manpower demand in a certain area; it is often regarded in practical terms only as a guide for TVET planners but never a Bible where nothing could be added or subtracted. For one thing, the firms selected for consideration in the tabulation for the plan are often selected because of their perceived dominance in the area or market under consideration. This means that smaller firms (which are often greater in number) may not be included in the data, or their aggregate estimated requirements may only be added later during the validation process. Thus, the figures in the provincial TESD plans are often best taken as benchmark indicators, and not to be taken dogmatically.
Because of the indicative nature of the provincial TESD plan, LGUs need to ascertain for themselves the figures for manpower supply and demand for for specific economic drivers or industries that are vital for their local economies. They need to replicate the process of gathering data from the field and sitting down with industry decision-makers and find out how they plan to expand (or contract) in terms of manpower during the next several years. Thus, whether LGUs realize it or not, there is a need for them to translate the Provincial TESD Plan into local TESD plans that will provide decision-makers with a snapshot of the supply and demand of skilled manpower in their community.
Auto-Pilot
Once in a while, LGUs implement community-based trainings that are very popular to the constituents. Especially when officials who implemented these get re-elected and re-elected, these programs often continue to get funded and implemented and publicized even though actual local gaps for these courses have already been filled and the training programs are now actually producing surpluses. Sometimes, the auto-piloting of training is forced, especially when the LGU has already invested heavily for the equipment and tools and workshop buildings, and not using them could cause negative publicity for the politicians who authorized their acquisition.
Local TESD Body
To fully synchronize community-based trainings with the economic directions of a certain locality, there may be a need to create a local body composed of representatives from the different stakeholders of local TVET and the local economy. The CTEC and local chief executive ought to be part of this (often with the local chief executive as the chair) together with representatives from the local industry and employers. This body can then draft the local TESD plan anchored on the locality's investment plan, the provincial TESD plan and the actual data on manpower demand for key industries.
Once the local TESD plan has been formulated, it will now be easy for the CTEC to formulate the training plan which will indicate training programs (perhaps for implementation during the whole term of the elected officials) that are consistent with the economic goals of the locality.
Related reading materials from Amazon.com:
Vocational Technical Education Skills Development Planning, Electronic Materials: Electronic components detection and identification
Planning for Technical and Vocational Skills Development: Fundamentals of Educational Planning Series No. 94
Quality Improvement in Adult Vocational Education and Training: Transforming Skills for the Global Economy
While graduates of these courses are relatively easy to employ both abroad and locally, many LGUs implement these without establishing firm connection between these qualifications and the actual gaps in the local middle level manpower. Thus, LGUs often produce graduates for other areas to employ (by export processing and special economic zones, for example) while ignoring qualifications whose graduates it needs to move forward its own economy. There are several reasons for this, including the failure of the local community training and employment coordinator (or CTEC) to base his community-based training programs to the local investment plan; dogmatic reading of the figures for manpower demand in the provincial technical education and skills development (TESD) plan or absence of any local TESD plan; and the tendency of some local governments to operate their community-based training on auto-pilot.
Local Investment Plan
The local investment plan is a document that ought to be produced by all LGUs of the Philippines. This document indicates, among others, the development strategies that the local government will adopt during the next several years, together with budget allocation, the source of the budget, the timeline for implementing activities along each strategy, the expected outcomes and the legislative support that will be needed. The document also indicates (at least in broad terms) particular industries that will be promoted within certain cluster areas, and thus is a good guide for finding out what community-based trainings will be needed. This however, should be done after consulting with other local development documents such as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the local tax code, the executive and legislative agenda together with current employment and labor force data.
TESD Plan
Every now and then, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA produces the TESD plan which indicates gaps in the manpower for specific industries for the next three years or so. The TESD plan, however, is not meant to provide the exact or actual manpower demand in a certain area; it is often regarded in practical terms only as a guide for TVET planners but never a Bible where nothing could be added or subtracted. For one thing, the firms selected for consideration in the tabulation for the plan are often selected because of their perceived dominance in the area or market under consideration. This means that smaller firms (which are often greater in number) may not be included in the data, or their aggregate estimated requirements may only be added later during the validation process. Thus, the figures in the provincial TESD plans are often best taken as benchmark indicators, and not to be taken dogmatically.
Because of the indicative nature of the provincial TESD plan, LGUs need to ascertain for themselves the figures for manpower supply and demand for for specific economic drivers or industries that are vital for their local economies. They need to replicate the process of gathering data from the field and sitting down with industry decision-makers and find out how they plan to expand (or contract) in terms of manpower during the next several years. Thus, whether LGUs realize it or not, there is a need for them to translate the Provincial TESD Plan into local TESD plans that will provide decision-makers with a snapshot of the supply and demand of skilled manpower in their community.
Auto-Pilot
Once in a while, LGUs implement community-based trainings that are very popular to the constituents. Especially when officials who implemented these get re-elected and re-elected, these programs often continue to get funded and implemented and publicized even though actual local gaps for these courses have already been filled and the training programs are now actually producing surpluses. Sometimes, the auto-piloting of training is forced, especially when the LGU has already invested heavily for the equipment and tools and workshop buildings, and not using them could cause negative publicity for the politicians who authorized their acquisition.
Local TESD Body
To fully synchronize community-based trainings with the economic directions of a certain locality, there may be a need to create a local body composed of representatives from the different stakeholders of local TVET and the local economy. The CTEC and local chief executive ought to be part of this (often with the local chief executive as the chair) together with representatives from the local industry and employers. This body can then draft the local TESD plan anchored on the locality's investment plan, the provincial TESD plan and the actual data on manpower demand for key industries.
Once the local TESD plan has been formulated, it will now be easy for the CTEC to formulate the training plan which will indicate training programs (perhaps for implementation during the whole term of the elected officials) that are consistent with the economic goals of the locality.
Related reading materials from Amazon.com:
Vocational Technical Education Skills Development Planning, Electronic Materials: Electronic components detection and identification
Planning for Technical and Vocational Skills Development: Fundamentals of Educational Planning Series No. 94
Quality Improvement in Adult Vocational Education and Training: Transforming Skills for the Global Economy
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