Career Guidance in Secondary Schools

The State recognizes the role of youth in nation building and acceleration of social progress (Section 2).
The State shall ensure the youth’s total development by promoting relevant education that generates human resources responsive to government, industry, and the economy (Section 2).
The Act institutionalizes a career guidance and counseling program for students in all public and private secondary schools nationwide (Section 3[a]).
The Act equips secondary education students to make educated career decisions and to be exposed to relevant labor markets (Section 3[b]).
The Act ensures graduates of tertiary education meet the requirements of government, industry, and the economy (Section 3[c]).

A National Secondary Schools Career Guidance and Counseling Program (CGCP) is created to be administered by the Department of Education (DepED) (Section 4).
The CGCP must be implemented in all public and private secondary education institutions (Section 4).
The CGCP commences at the Grade 7 level (Section 4).
The CGCP is a prerequisite to senior high school graduation (Section 4).
DepED, in coordination with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), accredits professional organizations on guidance counseling (Section 4).
DepED, with coordination involving PRC, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), formulates, develops, and reviews a Career Guidance and Counseling Instructional Module (CGCIM) (Section 4).
The CGCIM serves as the basic instructional material guiding secondary students toward meaningful and rewarding tertiary education based on capacity and skills, accessibility of public tertiary institutions, labor market information, and the requirements and expectations of government, industry, and the economy (Section 4).

Each secondary school must establish a CGCP Center (Section 5).
The CGCP Center is headed by the school administrator (Section 5).
The CGCP Center is assisted by a trained career and employment guidance counselor (Section 5).
The CGCP Center functions as a resource center for implementing the CGCP (Section 5).
The CGCP Center primarily provides guidance and counseling based on the CGCIM (Section 5).
Career and employment guidance counselors who are not registered with the PRC are allowed to conduct career advocacy activities to secondary students in the school where they are employed, subject to compliance with Section 9 of Republic Act No. 10533 and notwithstanding Section 27 of Republic Act No. 9268, and subject to training requirements (Section 5).
The unregistered counselors must undergo a training program developed and accredited by DepED (Section 5).

DepED, through the National Education Testing and Research Center, shall conduct an annual National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) (Section 6).
The NCAE is conducted among students in the appropriate grade level in all public and private secondary schools nationwide (Section 6).
The NCAE assesses and evaluates a student’s aptitude, skill, or inclination in a particular occupational field (Section 6).
The NCAE serves as a guide for students in choosing their courses or career options (Section 6).
The DepED Secretary determines the NCAE content, the date of examination, the location of examination centers, and the appropriate grade level of examinees (Section 6).
The DepED Secretary must issue the guidelines necessary for effective implementation of the NCAE (Section 6).
The DepED Secretary must review the NCAE content from time to time and revise it to maintain relevance, validity, and integrity (Section 6).

The DepED Secretary must immediately include the Act’s implementation in the Department’s program, with funding included in the annual General Appropriations Act (Section 7).
DepED must promulgate the necessary rules and regulations within ninety (90) days from approval of the Act (Section 8).
DepED must promulgate the rules in consultation with PRC, CHED, TESDA, DOLE, DTI, and NEDA (Section 8).

If any provision is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions continue in force and effect (Section 9).
All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the Act are repealed, modified, or amended accordingly (Section 10).