Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 7796)
Republic Act No. 7796 is officially known as the "Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994" or the "TESDA Act of 1994."
The State declares the policy to provide relevant, accessible, high-quality and efficient technical education and skills development in support of developing high-quality Filipino middle-level manpower responsive to Philippine development goals and priorities, encouraging active participation particularly from private enterprises.
The goals include promoting and strengthening the quality of technical education and skills development programs, focusing on middle-level manpower demands, encouraging critical and creative thinking, recognizing roles of public and private institutions, and inculcating moral values like work ethic and nationalism.
Middle-Level Manpower refers to those who have acquired practical skills and knowledge through formal or non-formal education and training equivalent to at least secondary education, preferably post-secondary with a diploma, or skilled workers highly competent in their trade as attested by industry.
TESDA replaced and absorbed the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), the Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE), the personnel and functions pertaining to technical-vocational education in DECS regional offices, and the Bureau of Local Employment’s apprenticeship program.
The TESDA Board is composed of the Secretary of Labor and Employment (Chairperson), Secretaries of Education, Trade and Industry (Co-Chairpersons), Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior and Local Government, the Director-General of TESDA Secretariat, and private sector representatives appointed by the President.
The Board formulates integrated policies, organizes committees, enters contracts, restructures manpower institutions, approves trade skills standards, accredits institutions, supports trainor programs, manages funding schemes including the Levy and Grant system, and performs duties to implement the Act.
The Secretariat formulates national plans, provides analytical inputs, recommends and implements measures, allocates resources, reports progress, administers apprenticeship, manages trainer programs, enters agreements, and performs duties assigned by the Board.
The Director-General heads the TESDA Secretariat, is a member of the TESDA Board, appointed by the President, and exercises general supervision over TESDA's technical and administrative personnel.
The TESDA Development Fund is used exclusively to award grants and provide assistance to training institutions, industries, and local government units for upgrading capabilities and implementing training activities, funded by government appropriations, contributions from OWWA, donations, and other income.
TESDA coordinates and assists local government units, establishing Technical Education and Skills Development Committees at regional and local levels, and plans for devolving training function responsibilities to local governments with capacity-building measures.
Skills Development Centers are a network of national, regional, and local skills training centers including vocational and technical schools, institutes, and polytechnic colleges, which are strengthened and administered by TESDA for promoting skills development.
The Skills Olympics is an annual event organized to promote quality skills development in the Philippines and prepare Filipino trainees for participation in international skills competitions.
It develops and establishes a national system of skills standardization, testing and certification, accredits testing venues, facilitates industry involvement in setting standards, and issues certificates through TESDA Secretariat.
TESDA coordinates all government and private sector technical education and skills training schemes, requiring programs partly or wholly funded by the government to report to TESDA for assessment and evaluation to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.