School-Industry Partnership for Global Competitiveness through DTS

(Official Blog Entry to the TESDA - DTS Blog Entry Contest)
(Chosen as the Most Informative Blog)

   
   In the past decades, we are witnesses to the continuing concern on the increasing job mismatch that has become a problem every year, with respect to the ratio of graduates and the capacity and absorption capability of the industry and business sector. 

    This problem which has been voiced out many times by politicians and business leaders alike, could have been caused by our education system not being able train and produce graduates that suites the requirements of the global economy, and most Filipinos' view of looking on the existing “current job demands”, and of not being able to project the future of the labor market.

    To curb this growing number of unemployed graduates, as early as February 1994, our legislative body has passed an act that will strengthen the manpower education and training in the country, by institutionalizing the Dual Training System (DTS), as an instructional Delivery of Technical Vocational Education and Training  (TVET). [1]  

    The DTS which was adopted from the German Model, is a mode of training that happens in two venues, the school and the Industry. [2]  Through the said program, beneficial advantages can be obtained by the participating industries, schools, and student/trainees in which:

For the participating industry: a tax incentive scheme; and additional means of conducting their “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) programs, by helping Trainees “earn while studying”, and at the same time helping them acquire and develop advance skills, while being productive at the same time.  Aside from this, should they decide to hire their trainees after completing their training, they can be easily assimilated to their regular employees.

For the Academic Institutions: thru the revolving fund that the institution will be receiving, it can help in its capability improvement program that will allow the institution to develop more industry compliant students that can boost the institution's graduate-employment ratio.
   
For the Student/Trainee: an opportunity to have a full hands-on industry experience that will increase the student's competitiveness before he can even graduate; and earn an allowance that could help the student in supporting their studies while under the program.

    This year,  the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), has started to promote the adaptation of DTS in Region III.

    As a result of this endeavor, just recently, heads of the three major Freeport Zones in Central Luzon together with 90 DTS participating companies and 40 public and private educational institutions have forged a commitment with TESDA, through a grand Memorandum-Of-Agreement (MOA) signing which was held in Clark, Pampanga, which “...signals our common goals for us to be competitive in terms of economic growth through tapping our skilled workers.”[3]

    DTS as a program, was one of the reason why Germany become an industrialized nation, with proper implementation, there is a great hope that soon, as a nation, we will be able to reap the benefit of this program.

End Notes:

[1] Section 2, RA7686

[2] TESDA Official Website; TESDA TVET Computer Hardware Servicing NC II Training regulations.

[3] As cited in an interview with Atty. Deogracias Custodio of A-FAB that appeared in an online media outfit