TESDA eyes stricter in scholarship allotment rules

MANILA -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be stricter in giving scholarship slots to technical-vocational institutions (TVIs), an executive said Thursday.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), TESDA-NCR Director Conrado Bares said this is due to the new guidelines or the 2019 Omnibus Guidelines for Scholarships the agency plans to implement.

Under the new rules, TVIs must generate 60 percent employment rate for their scholars, from six months to one year after their graduation. The target employment rate was previously set at 50 percent.

Bares clarified that if the TVIs do not reach 60 percent employment rate, they would not be given scholarship slots, since this will be among the criteria for them to qualify for the slots.

"This will be applicable to all private institutions with TESDA-registered programs," he added.

To check whether the graduates are already employed or not, Bares said TESDA conducts a survey (Study on the Employability of TVET Graduates) every year. TESDA is currently working on the survey for 2018 graduates, according to Bares.

"We also use a database system wherein we will now include the details pertaining to the employment of our trainees," he remarked.

Also to track the employment of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) scholars, Bares said TESDA's Scholarship Management Office requires TVIs an employment report.

The employment report shall include the employment status of the scholars, from six months to 1 year after their training.

Meanwhile, the number of scholarship slots to be given per TVI "depends on its absorptive capacity".

"TVIs submit a Qualification Map to the District Office. (The map) indicates the training programs they are applying for scholarship, the date when they plan to implement these programs, etc. This will be evaluated by the provincial director and shall be endorsed by the regional director. Once approved by the Secretary, they will be issued the scholarship grants and they could start the training," he explained.

Bares noted that under the new guidelines, TESDA will provide incentives or additional scholarship slots to TVIs accredited by the Asia-Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission, and those with ISO 9001:2015 or with Philippine Quality Award.

Additional slots will also go to TVIs which received "star rating" from TESDA.

TESDA's star rating system aims to recognize the accomplishments and improvements the TVIs have instituted in their programs to further enhance their TVET system.

The system also aims to identify TVIs' registered programs that have surpassed the minimum requirements of TESDA's Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System.

"Bronze awardees will be given additional one batch of scholarship slots equivalent for 25 trainees. Silver awardees will get two batches while Gold awardees will get three batches," Bares said. (PNA

 

 


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