Question #1: Skills are vital for poverty reduction, economic recovery and

sustainable development. S a consequence, Policy attention to technical vocational

education and training (TVET) is increasing worldwide.

What realistic approach and program that can you suggest to help address
problems facing TVET in the Philippines

Building skills for poverty reduction Poverty is a multi-dimensional concept.

Improving access to the labour market in the informal economy, or agriculture,
increases income and strengthens social networks. Such access can constitute a
powerful tool for poverty reduction. Learning vocational skills helps to ensure food
security and rural development, both of which are important when fi ghting poverty.
Skills development strategies must look not only at households but also at
communities and territories, as local conditions are a key element. POVERTY means
more than simply low income. It includes lack of voice in determining what goes on
in ones community, as well as vulnerable livelihoods. Food insecurity is often a
reality of poverty. Skills development contributes to social and economic
integration. Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met
through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes is one
of the six goals outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action to achieve Education for
All (EFA). Providing training in vocational skills plays an important role in equipping
young people and adults with the skills required for work and social integration. Yet,
governments often pay little attention to skills training for youth and adults.
Similarly, donors and international organizations often conceptualize EFA narrowly,
over-emphasizing formal general education. As a result, progress towards a more
comprehensive approach has been slow. In poor countries, preparing young people
for work often means improving their access to the informal sector1 . More attention
is being paid to the informal sector within the framework of training and poverty-
reduction policies (see article p. 5 on Senegal). In many transition economies too,
the informal sector is growing. This movement can be seen as a form of
impoverishment, although it represents an important dimension of the economy by
providing employment and generating income for the poor and needy. Skills
development, together with other social protection measures, can certainly
constitute a powerful tool for poverty reduction. An increasing number of countries
are designing innovative strategies in this direction. Besides the informal sector, the
rural economy, and particularly agriculture, constitutes the main livelihood for the
poor. Meaningful skills development programmes targeting rural communities need
to be placed within a context of rural development. In a rapidly changing
environment, strengthening the skills of rural communities can reduce their
vulnerability and help them to cope with new economic and social conditions.
Depending on the country, the transition to market economy and the openingup of
traditional crop commodities to international markets are some of the
transformations that deeply affect the lives of rural communities and can
sometimes threaten their very survival as social entities. Skills development can be
considered as a public good. But there are many ways of promoting skills for rural
people (see article p. 4 on China), one of which is to design cost-effective strategies
that can be implemented on a scale compatible with the size of the target
population. In this area, where more research is needed to provide for evidence-
based policies. When policy-makers are willing to invest in skills development to
reduce poverty, an immediate problem for many low-income countries is the
capacity of the delivery system, both in size and relevance. Apart from the public
training system, often relatively small, other providers are atomized and unable to
meet the needs. Implementing a skills development policy to reduce poverty also
implies building a system able to meet this specific demand. Adequate incentives
and support mechanisms are needed to stimulate and improve the training capacity
of the nongovernment providers. Another strategy is to encourage public
institutions to target the poor and use new training methodologies. Matching
provision to the needs of the poor, particularly in remote rural areas, means working
closely with the beneficiaries and in partnership with local communities (see article
below on Chad). Reorienting formal vocational education institutions towards
poverty reduction often involves a substantial change in the system through local
networks. Local conditions are crucial, and several experiences highlight the
important role that vocational schools play in local communities not only by
providing education and training for work but also in promoting social cohesion and
the capacity to work together (see article p. 6 on Central Asia). Poverty is more than
an individual situation. Allowing members of poor households to integrate a
community is a key to preventing social exclusion (see article p. 7 on Latin
America). Poverty reduction is seen as an important aspect of community
development. Vocational schools can revitalize a region, increase incomes, reduce
instability of livelihoods, enhance community participation, and give voice to the
poor and needy.

I N June 2006, as reported on page 12 of this issue of the IIEP Newsletter,

participants gathered in Rome for a meeting of the International Working Group on
Education (IWGE). This body, established in 1972, is an informal grouping of
international agencies concerned with education in least developed countries. The
idea that led to the 1990 World Conference on Education for All (WCEFA) in Jomtien,
Thailand, originated in the discussions of this working group. Since 1983, IIEP has
been the secretariat and focal point. The meeting was held in the Headquarters of
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which occupies a
historic site close to the Coliseum, Circus Maximus and other buildings which were
of great signifi cance at the heart of the Roman Empire. The FAO is not just
concerned with plants and animals; it also focuses on the human side of
development, and includes a dynamic programme on Education for Rural People
(ERP) in which IIEP has been a partner. Rome, we are told, was not built in a day. But
its founders had vision, and subsequent generations had persistence. Individual
leaders set specifi c targets for construction and development which were not
always met as anticipated but which in the long run resulted in a remarkable city at
the centre of one of the worlds great civilisations. The Roman Empire itself no
longer exists, but its legacy is everywhere including in the script and much of the
vocabulary (derived from Latin) used for writing this editorial. Parallels may be
drawn with the discussions of the IWGE. Education for All (EFA), which was the core
of both the 1990 Jomtien Conference and the follow-up 2000 World Education Forum
in Dakar, Senegal, also cannot be achieved in a day. But the objective is of immense
signifi cance, and the goal is being achieved step-by-step. The participants in the
June 2006 IWGE meeting analyzed the progress and the obstacles, sought to
encourage each other, and renewed their efforts to address the challenges. Most of
the articles in this Newsletter are related to this general theme. They have a
particular focus on skills development for poverty reduction, and highlight IIEPs
work in this fi eld around the world. Individual contributions focus on Africa, Central
Asia and China, as well as Latin America. The IIEP Newsletter also reports on the
2006 Summer School on poverty reduction, which was organized by IIEP in
conjunction with the World Bank Institute (WBI) and joined by 27 participants from
French-speaking countries. Just as the impact of the Roman Empire is evident long
after the empire itself receded into history, so will the impact of EFA and other
efforts to reduce poverty be durable long after the conferences in Jomtien, Dakar
and elsewhere have been largely forgotten even in those communities most
concerned. IIEP is proud to play its role as part of this long-term process which is a
hugely important contribution to human, social and economic development.

The sub-prefectures of Massaguet and Massakory are in the Harze Al Biar and
Dagana departments (170,000 inhabitants) situated in the Sahelian strip of Chad. It
a highly desertifi ed region where the populations live on cattle breeding,
agricultural and migratory herding. They are the two main action areas of the
DELOC Programme managed by ACRA1 which targets producer organizations (a
total of 24 unions covering 209 groups, 42 of them womens groups, and with a
total of 8,000 members). The DELOC programme has two main objectives, both
emphasizing the importance of capacity building: fi rst, it strengthens the structure
and administration of benefi ciary organizations, and second, it supports
agropastoral production. These aims are closely linked to a local development
process focussing on establishing dialogue platforms (Co-ordination of Unions) as
part of the new decentralized administrative structures within the framework of the
countrys new decentralization law. A multi-level activity has been set up to
strengthen the structure and skills of producer organizations through discussion,
training, and the creation and support of representative and administrative bodies.
Agropastoral production has also benefi ted from support via a Local Development
Fund (LDF) which fi nances agropastoral sub-projects. A service and administrative
centre, under the responsibility of producer organizations, formulates funding
requests to be approved by local selection committees. Technical training to
develop competencies in administrative management and accounting, as well as
coaching in the administration of income generating activities have proved essential
to the process, strengthening both the actors and their tools. The results have been
remarkable as regards both participation and appropriation of the method as well as
the quality and feasibility of the undertakings. The involvement of producers in LDFs
was very strong. The fi nancial participation of producer organizations reached 25
per cent. Numerous requests by producer organizations have been evaluated, fi
nanced and implemented according to criteria of priority and geographical
distribution (wells for herders, warehouses, vaccination campaigns, millet-grinding
mills, carts for women, etc.). Finally, each subprefecture now has a legitimate
associative and representative structure (Co-ordination of Unions) which analyzes
community needs and contributes to local development planning.

WITH a rural population of 800 million, 28 million of whom live below the
poverty line, China is the largest developing country in the world. Lack of access to
education and training maintains a low level of education and production skills
among the rural poor. According to the 2002 census, rural populations receive an
average of less than seven years education: 40 per cent of rural workers have a
primary school education, 48 per cent attend middle schools, only about 12 per cent
fi nish high school, and less than 5 per cent receive some agricultural vocational
training. In remote areas and minority groups, the average education level of
farmers and herders is much lower than the national average. This is a serious
constraint to rural development. Government agencies, higher agricultural
educational institutions and private sectors fully recognize this and different training
programmes have been launched in the past two decades in an effort to remedy the
problem. In 1999, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a national programme,
Training young farmers for the 21st Century. By 2005, it had trained 520,000 young
farmers from 198 counties. According to a training impact survey conducted in
Henan Province in 2004, the average per capita net income of those young farmers
who underwent the vocational training is 24 per cent higher than those who did not.
According to a survey conducted by a team from the Center for Integrated
Agricultural Development (CIAD)of China Agricultural University, in six other
provinces the production and management skills of trained farmers are signifi cantly
higher than of those of untrained farmers. In 2000, the State Leading Group Offi ce
for Poverty Alleviation (LGOP) adopted a new strategy for poverty alleviation.
Providing training to develop the technical skills of poor farmers, particularly
women, has become a key element of the countrys poverty alleviation programme.
About 5-10 per cent of the poverty-reduction funds were allocated to communities
for capacity building programmes and skills training for farmers. Assessing training
needs of communities has become an important task of village development
planning. Higher agricultural education institutions also play an important role in
skills development. In 2004, China Agricultural University launched a special
programme encouraging young graduates to work in rural communities for three
years, providing technical training to village leaders and farmers. In 2002, CIAD
launched a participatory curriculum development programme, Community-based
natural resource management, with support from the Canadian development
agency, International Development Research Centre (IDRC). In this programme, a
group of development researchers regularly visited selected pilot communities to
carry out case studies. These efforts have fostered university-community
partnerships, strengthened community skills and capacities, and trained farmers in
new techniques. With the onset of the socialist market economy, the private sector
and farmer economic co-operatives also play important training roles. In order to
reduce marketing risks, a marketing model called Dragon-Head Enterprises and
Small Producers was developed and quickly spread over the country. For producing
the high quality products Dragon-Head Enterprises provides training in relevant
production and agricultural techniques to farmers against payment. In Shandong
Province, Dragon-Head training models have been adopted in highly specialized
vegetable or fruit production areas. In Dongchuan County, Yunnan Province, the
Vegetable Grower Association provides systematic technical training to its members
for adopting environmentalfriendly production techniques. To further enhance
farmer training effi ciency, the following issues should be considered: training
needs should be assessed before designing the training curriculum, to ensure that
the courses meet the demand; course instructors should be trained in adult
education and modern training methodology; a training quality control and
impact assessment system should be developed and implemented; a co-
operation and co-ordination mechanism should be set up among different
stakeholders in order to effectively use training resources, such as sharing teaching
personnel and facilities.

Developing skills for poverty reduction

in Central Asia
There is an urgent need for international aid on skills development to relate
to systemic vocational education and training (VET) reforms in impoverished
transition countries in Central Asia. On-going VET reforms in the European Union
(EU) could help to better focus and prioritize international assistance to these
countries, and ensure local ownership, national capacity building and sustainability.

WITHIN the European Union, the consensus on development assistance now

emphasizes the importance of vocational education and training for poverty
reduction This comes after a long period during which structural adjustment,
liberalization, privatization and marketization were high on donor agendas and
educational assistance was reduced to providing basic literacy and numeracy skills
for children. However, the implications of this new trend for transition countries are
still not clear. A history of poverty Most transition countries do not have a long
history of poverty. Although incomes were low, they were offset by the provisions of
state welfare systems. Several Central Asian countries in the former Soviet Union,
however, used to be dependent on budget transfers from Moscow which
disappeared almost overnight after independence. After the collapse of the Soviet
system, those countries and regions that used to benefit from budget transfers or
artificial industrialization have suffered most. The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development estimates that every second person in what it calls the Early
Transition Countries (Armenia, Azerbaijian, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) lives in poverty. Even when economic growth occurred
towards the end of the 1990s, it did not profi t the poor. The case for
impoverishment is illustrated by the fact that currently 11 European Training
Foundation1 partner countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan)
have signed, or are in the process of signing Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
(PRSP) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Macedonia
and Uzbekistan have signed only an initial PRSP. Different concepts of poverty The
concept of impoverishment not only refers to the living conditions of individuals
and their families. Transition countries have undergone institutional
impoverishment, another characteristic that makes them different from developing
countries, and insuffi cient investment has gradually caused the education and
training sector to loose its ability to remain an important source of innovation. There
is another dimension of poverty often overlooked: the loss of capacities, especially
among older generations and in the early stages of transition, to survive in a society
based on very different principles. This is what life skills or social capital refer to.
There is an increased risk of poverty becoming an intergenerational phenomenon as
learned behaviour becomes unhelpful and education institutions should step in and
help to reverse this trend. The challenges for reform The combination of individual,
institutional and social impoverishment has created a situation in which vocational
schools have become the education institutions for the poor but without any real
potential to effectively reduce their poverty. A reform policy aimed at linking
vocational education to poverty reduction should ensure that VET content fully
addresses the learning needs of the impoverished, including their diminished
capacity to escape from poverty. This requires a different view of skills development
from the one currently held by the donor community. For skills development to
actively reduce poverty in transition countries, vocational schools need to respond
to the learning needs of local environments and use modern learning approaches
like those currently being implemented in European lifelong learning systems. The
European Training Foundation is piloting a project on Skills Development for Poverty
Reduction in Central Asia which combines decentralization with the opening up of
vocational schools and pedagogical innovation. The project will provide policy
lessons for VET reforms in those countries participating

Vocational training for unemployed youth in Latin America An ongoing IIEP

study of vocational training programmes as part of the fight against poverty shows
how local networks improve employment prospects for out-of-work young adults. It
also stresses the need for better co-ordination between school education and the
world of work. I N a deteriorating Latin American job market, youth unemployment
rates are at least twice as high as those in the entire active population and even
higher for disadvantaged young adults. Over the years, vocational programmes
have been set up to improve employment prospects for disadvantaged young
adults. Alongside the standard vocational training systems on offer, more flexible
training programmes have been adopted which place greater emphasis on tailoring
training to the demands of the job market. These efforts stem from the realization
that the low employability of these young people is due to their inadequate
qualifications. While this may well be one reason for higher unemployment among
poorly educated youth, it is not the only one. In an ever-shrinking global job market,
the better educated young job-seekers tend to displace the less well-educated
candidates, even in jobs which do not require a high degree of qualification. Another
worrying aspect lies in the weakness of the institutions. Many programmes offer
courses which are customized by the providers and this has led to fragmentation
and lack of sustainability. It has also hindered investment in good educational
materials and the gradual improvement of training strategies. As a result, in recent
years, more classical vocational training agencies have been encouraged to
participate in these programmes, such as: SENAs (Servicio Nacional de aprendizaje
the Colombian National Office for Learning) involvement in the Jovenes en Accin
(Youth in Action) Programme in Columbia, and SENAI (Servio de Aprendizagem
Industrial National Office for Industrial Training in Brazil) and SENACs (Servio de
aprendizagem Comercial) involvement with the First Job scheme in Brazil. It is
interesting to note that these traditional well-established training agencies have had
to tailor their courses to opportunities that exist on the new job market. Where
curriculum design is concerned, there continues to be a void between short one-off
courses which do not compensate for the weak basic skills of young people, on the
one hand, and existing longer training courses with record high dropout rates, on
the other. There are very few modular programmes available. Also, many
programmes assume that young people will become self-employed, despite their
lack of job experience, basic organizational skills, the ability to work independently,
or access to credit. Despite the above limitations, some programmes have been
successful in finding jobs for young people with skills. They are more likely to find
regular employment, at least in the short-term, than if they had not benefited from
the training. Young people themselves express satisfaction with these schemes.
They see the courses as providing opportunities for social participation, to acquire
various skills and improve their self-esteem. Some even return to formal education
once they have completed the course. Some recent programmes are introducing
new strategies designed to overcome the limitations and weaknesses of approaches
employed over the past decade. These strategies include: initiatives to encourage
young people and adults to complete their primary and secondary education in
conjunction with vocational training; courses which include training and
professional experience and help the students find jobs; programmes to help
young people find jobs in employment niches outsourced by the public sector, as in
the case of the city council of Montevideo, Uruguay. Similarly, some attempts to
establish local alliances follow a more holistic approach by combining resources and
services. Others have sought to establish valuable links with mainstream education
and training, as well as with existing job-market niches. These experiences have
helped to bridge the gap between public resources, employer and specific target
groups of young people. Some town councils, such as Medelln (Columbia), Rosario
(Argentina) and Montevideo (Uruguay), have encouraged the setting up of inter-
institutional training networks.

What realistic approach and program that can you suggest to help address
problems facing TVET in the Philippines.

- I. Background of Philippine TVET There are three education subsectors in the

Philippines: basic education, higher education and the technical vocational
education and training (TVET). This was an outcome of the study undertaken
by the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) in 1991, which
recommended to tri-focalize the education system in the Philippines. The
EDCOM recommendations focused basically on both legislative reforms and
programme measures that will: improve the quality of Philippine education,
make education accessible to all Filipinos and make it more responsive to the
development challenges of the country. Legislative reforms consist of the
creation of the three (3) departments for each of the levels of education in
the country, while programme measures include those that will develop a
competent and productive citizenry, improve the quality and status of the
teachers and administrators, strengthening partnerships for optimum
learning, better planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of
education and training, among others1 . Hence, education reform acts were
passed in 1994 to 1995, creating the agencies that would supervise each of
these subsectors. Republic Act No. 7796 or the Technical Education and
Skills Development Act of 19942 created the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) which integrated the functions of the
National Manpower and Youth Council, Bureau of Technical Vocational
Education and the apprenticeship programme of the Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE). The basic and higher education are managed by
the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education,
respectively. TVET is referred to as involving post-secondary and non-degree
technical vocational education and training. TVET provides education and
training to prepare students and other clients for employment. It also
provides specific skills training for those who are already in the labour market
and need to upgrade or develop new competencies to enhance chances for
employment and/or improve productivity. Potential beneficiaries of TVET
primarily include secondary school graduates or drop-outs as well as college
undergraduates and graduates. Unemployed persons who are actively
looking for work and former overseas workers also tend to turn to TVET for
either additional skills or a change in career paths. The TVET delivery network
in the country consists of more than 4,000 institutions, more than 60% of
which are privately owned. Public TVET providers include 126 TESDA
Technology Institutes located nationwide. Other public TVET providers include
state-owned universities and colleges and local colleges offering non-degree
programmes; Department of Education-supervised schools; and local
government units and other government agencies providing skills training
programmes. Funding for TVET depends on the type of provider. For private
TVET institutions, students or trainees pay fees. On the other hand, training
by publicly owned TVET providers are subsidized by the government, hence
the trainees do not pay or pay very minimal amount for the training. The
budget of the 126 TESDA Technology Institutes is incorporated in the budget
of TESDA which is an average of PhP 2.3 Billion per year. Training delivery is
through 4 basic modes: 1) school-based; 2) centre-based; 3) community-
based programmes leading to livelihood and self-employment opportunities;
and, 4) enterprise-based programmes such as the apprenticeship
programme. At present, TVET is situated largely outside of or adjacent to
formal basic and higher education. However, recent initiatives by the
government have slowly created links and interfaces between TVET 1 Making
Education Work: An Agenda for Reform, the Congressional Commission on
Education, 1991. 2 Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994
with Implementing Rules and Regulations, Philippine Star, February 13, 1995.
Increasing public awareness of TVET in the Philippines 5 and higher education
through a national qualification system with the intention of creating a
seamless education and training system that allows mobility in terms of
flexible entry and exit into the system. The Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority The Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) is the government agency tasked to manage and supervise
technical education and skills development (TESD) in the Philippines. TESDA
is mandated by Republic Act No. 7796 to provide relevant, accessible, high
quality and efficient technical education and skills development in support of
the development of high quality Filipino middle level manpower responsive to
and in accordance with the Philippine development goals and priorities
(Republic of the Philippines, 1995, p. 19). The Act also provides that TESDA
shall encourage active participation of various concerned sectors,
particularly private enterprises, being direct participants in and immediate
beneficiaries of a trained and skilled workforce, in providing technical
education and skills development opportunities (Republic of the Philippines,
1995, p. 19). The TESDA Act merged the Bureau of Technical Vocational
Education of then Department of Education, Culture and Sports, the National
Manpower and Youth Council and the Apprenticeship Programme of the
Department of Labor and Employment. TESDA is the authority in TVET in the
country. It is composed of the Board and the Secretariat. The TESDA Board is
the highest TVET policy-making body composed of at least thirteen (13)
public and private stakeholders that work together for the benefit of its
constituents.3 The TESDA Board is chaired by the Secretary of Labor and
Employment, with the Secretaries of Education and Trade and Industry as co-
chairs. Private sector representatives come from the employer/industry
organizations, national association of private TVET institutions and from the
labour sector. The Secretariat, headed by the Director General, serves as the
development and implementing arm of the authority. Delivery of programmes
and services are carried out through a network of offices and training
institutes situated in strategic locations nationwide. There are TESDA regional
and provincial offices in all the regions and provinces of the country. TESDA
has also inherited from its predecessors, 126 TVET schools and training
centres. These technology institutes share almost half of the total budget of
TESDA. The TESDA core business is to provide national leadership in
developing a skilled workforce particularly in ensuring a sufficient provision of
skilled workers and technicians at an international standard to meet the
needs of the enterprises; and in ensuring access to skills and technician
education for the greater majority of the Filipinos. The exercise of TESDAs
role as the national leader and Authority in TVET is guided by its core
business consisting of three planks which are mutually reinforcing and
anchored on quality provision: direction setting, standards setting and
systems development and support to TVET provision. A necessary component
of the TESDA core business that connects and supports the three planks is
the institutional capacity building. TESDA has to build its competencies to
improve the various systems and processes in the organization. Its
organizational structure and core business is presented in Annex A. The whole
TVET network is comprised of more or less 4500 public and private training
institutes, with majority or about 80% private institutes. TESDA registers the
TVET programmes/courses offered by these institutes prior to offering. There
are sets of standards, called the Training Regulations, which TESDA develops
with the assistance of industry experts, which serve as basis in registering
the programmes. TESDA programmes that support skills development include
scholarship programmes, trainers development, technical assistance to the
TVET institutes, networking with partners and social marketing and advocacy.
3 It has increased to more than twenty since then. The TESDA Board
members are appointed by the President. 6 A case study Total manpower
complement of TESDA is approximately 4300 for all the TESDA offices and
training institutes. Budget is from the national government, with some
assistance for specific projects from international development institutions
such as the World Bank, Asian Development bank, Japan International
Cooperation Agencies, Korea Overseas International Cooperation Agency,
German Development Assistance, Ausaid, etc. The TESDA budget has been at
the same level for the last eight (8) years. The total budget is based on
projected expenses of programmes and projects identified in the medium
term skills development plan, and/or annual priorities of the leadership as
approved by the TESDA Board. Allocation for specific programmes may be
adjusted as necessary and upon approval or directive of the Director General.
Trainees enrolled in the TESDA owned institutes enjoy free training,
however, over the years, due to limited funds/budget, there was a need to
charge fees to sustain quality provision. The private TVET institutes charge
training fees. TVET is expensive; therefore, there are underprivileged Filipinos
who are not able to enrol in TVET courses, nor in any tertiary education.
Philippine TVET challenges The Philippines shares most of the challenges
experienced by other countries implementing TVET such as: poor
coordination and cooperation between implementers, industry, commerce
and stakeholders (European Training Foundation, 2003); lack of alignment
between technical qualifications earned in vocational schools and with
degrees from colleges (Kuczera, Kis & Wurzburg, 2009); lack of funding
(Hoeckel, 2008); lack of awareness or limited knowledge of TVET programmes
(Quay Connections in OECD/CERI, 2009); and, being regarded as second class
education and for less fortunate or less intelligent individuals (Tilak, 2002).
The latter two challenges, those regarding the publics awareness of TVET
and the stigma associated with it, are further examined and addressed in this
case study. Furthermore, the National Technical Education and Skills
Development Plan 2005-2009 (NTESDP) identified that the key TVET issues to
be addressed were: 1) need for wider social appreciation on the role of TVET;
2) need for greater industry involvement; 3) need to institutionalize
portability and direct link between technical vocational education and training
and higher education; 4) lack of purposive career guidance and profiling of
the youth; and, 5) the need for quality standards in TVET in the public sector.
The successor plan, NTESDP 2011-2016, which is due to be completed in the
first quarter 2011, will seek to address the challenge of balancing the need to
reach the grassroots and the vision of increasing absorption rates of TVET
graduates.4 The major problem in the Philippine labor market is the existence
of supply-demand mismatches which leads to structural unemployment a
situation where there are plenty of available jobs that could not be filled up
by our existing manpower while there are jobless people who cant find jobs
due to lack of skills. Geographical mismatches also occur in which there is
surplus labor in other areas while a dearth of labor supply is being
experienced in other regions. This is basically due to the following causes: 1)
inadequate market intelligence; 2) non-responsive/inflexible training
programmes; 3) inadequate investments on education and training systems;
4) low quality learning inputs/outputs; and 5) mismatch in skills formation
with job requirements.5 In the focus group discussion among the various
stakeholder groups, a number of challenges surfaced in line with the
promotion of TVET in the country. The need for resources to sustain the gains
of promoting 4 The New TESDA: Real Deal in Technical Education and Skills
Development, Corporate Affairs Office, TESDA, November 2010. 5 HRD
Framework for the Labor and Employment Summit 2011, Planning Office,
TESDA, November 2010. Increasing public awareness of TVET in the
Philippines 7 TVET thru scholarships and free assessment after huge
investments in human resource development in the past year is a major
challenge faced by TESDA at present and in the near future. Policies and
procedures in the formulation and deployment of standards and
qualifications, assessment and certification, and in the implementation of
programmes have yet to attain quality assurance levels that meet
international standards. While there has been increase in the awareness of
TVET and therefore, increase in the quantity of intake of the TVET system, the
capacity of industry to absorb the graduates has not increased as much,
especially in the recent years when the global economic crisis affected most
of the labour intensive sectors. On the other hand, the industries that were
not greatly affected and were the focus of the training interventions, such as
the business process outsourcing require skills that do not necessarily match
those of the graduates of the education system. The mismatch between
training and industry requirements and the need for stronger and closer
coordination between industry and the TVET providers has remained a force
to reckon with, despite the fact that TESDA training regulations have been
industry led and developed in close collaboration with industry
representatives. Statement of the problem The lack of awareness and
understanding of the real value of TVET vis vis higher education and the
stigma on technical education and training are deeply rooted in the Philippine
culture. In 2009, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
embarked on an intensive nationwide social marketing and advocacy
programme (SMAP). This was prompted by a number of private- and
government-led studies that have repeatedly shown evidence of low public
awareness of TVET and TVET programmes as well as low public acceptance of
TVET as a viable educational pathway for socioeconomic development. The
National Sectoral Skills Plan for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Manufacturing Industries (2004) reported that there is a lack of public
awareness of TVET programmes and partiality of the general populace
towards degree courses. The National Sectoral Skills Plan for the Information
and Communications Technology Sector (2004) reports that TVET is often
regarded as preparation for menial jobs while degree courses often lead to
the usually more preferred office work. Syjuco (2007), in an attempt to
describe the stigma associated with TVET, posits that the bias against
vocational training has deep historical roots and points out that the public
perceive TVET to be the last choice among students who cannot afford to
take degree courses in colleges. These subsectoral plans reiterate the same
problem in the NTESDP earlier mentioned. The lack of public awareness is a
situation not only among the target clients of TVET but with those who make
or influence their career decisions such as parents, relatives and friends, and
among the end users of technical education and skills development, the
industry. The need to create awareness among the general population of the
expected result, social acceptability of TVET, is imperative. This study will
attempt to document, evaluate and analyse TESDAs Social Marketing and
Advocacy Programme (SMAP) conducted during the period August 2008 to
December 2009. It will also examine the messages used during the
campaign, the process of selecting the target audiences, the media used to
deliver the messages, the several other methods used to engage the publics
attention towards the message, and the subsequent results of the campaign.
In its course, the study maintained the following hypotheses: that effective
social marketing leads to increased awareness of TVET, and that increased
awareness leads to changes in attitude towards TVET. 8 A case study II.
Methodology Conceptual framework In the conduct of the study, the
reinforcement theory of Hovland, Janis and Kelly (in Modelo, 1987) was
considered among others. Simply stated, the theory presents that
"communication leads to learning". This presents that a persuasive message
delivered through communication leads the receiver of the message to
change his opinion on the subject of the message. This change in opinion
(formed through what is essentially reinforcement) leads to a change in
attitude. At the conceptual level, the "communication" aspect of the theory
may be the mass media and other forms of communications employed to
deliver the messages of the marketing campaign, while the change in opinion
will occur within the target audiences. The study also regarded the views of
Brown, Bryant, Forthofer, Perrin, Quinn, Wolper & Lindenberger (2000) who
suggested that before changes in attitude can be expected to take place, four
key concepts must be carefully developed and situated around the target
individual. These include the product (usually the benefits that will be gained
by the consumer after a change in behaviour or attitude); price (the possible
compromises that the target audience may need to render); place (where
information is distributed and where services can be availed); and promotion
(strategies employed to attract consumers). Petty & Wegener (1998)
presented some relevant conclusions that apply to this case. One is that
when delivering the message that directs attitude change, it was found that
distractions enhance persuasion even if the argument for the change is weak.
Another conclusion stated that the credibility of the source may highlight the
weakness of an argument. Finally, on the process for crafting and delivering a
message for social marketing, Pechmann & Reibling (2000) in a journal article
examining case studies of anti-smoking advertising campaigns in the US and
Canada, offer some insights. It was found that even a carefully constructed
message may still be misunderstood by its target audience, thus pre-testing
messages is an advisable practice. Also, a focused campaign, one that
utilizes just one message, is more effective than one that is heterogeneous.
In addition, outcome studies are recommended to evaluate the effectiveness
and cost-effectiveness of a particular campaign, as the knowledge base
gained from the studies can be used as inputs to facilitate the formulation of
a follow-up procedure or succeeding phases of a social marketing campaign.
The concept of social marketing has been introduced as the focus of this
study. Social marketing simply means the application of marketing concepts
to social services, which is the product of TESDA as a government agency.
Marketing of TVET to the agencys customers the Filipino people, is both a
science and an art, and requires creative strategies and substantial
investments. Research design This paper employs the case study approach in
looking at how the SMAP of TESDA helped in creating public awareness and in
shaping the attitude of Filipinos towards TVET. Data were gathered from
existing documents compiled by the researchers. These include
accomplishment reports, project proposals, news clippings, text messages
and e-mails sent by stakeholders (schools, students, out-ofschool youth,
workers, etc.) as well as reports of surveys conducted by recognized private
research groups in the Philippines. The researchers personal account and
observations on the agencys SMAP likewise forms a bigger part in the writing
and analysis of this paper. To establish the validity of the data and to
generate ideas from the sector, the researchers also conducted a focus group
discussion, participated in by representatives of TVET policy makers and
providers, industry, students/trainees, media outfits, labour unions and
government agencies. Increasing public awareness of TVET in the Philippines
9 Limitations of the study There are limitations that need to be taken into
account when considering the study and its contributions. While the SMAPs
use of media may have been extensive, no specific feedback mechanism to
evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a particular media was installed, thus the
study offers no definite conclusions to this aspect of the SMAP. However, a
simple cost-effectiveness analysis may be done considering the number of
audience reached compared to the total investments poured into the SMAP.
The surveys that were commissioned during the SMAP implementation dwelt
mainly on the awareness levels of the target audiences, no other instruments
to determine the attitudes or changes of such were included. Thus, while
awareness levels may have changed, there is little detailed data as to the
extent to which the SMAP may or may not have affected the publics attitude
towards TVET. The closest would be a correlation on the increase in the
activities and interventions undertaken; and the increase in the
feedback/queries/interest received. The last quarter survey also captured
responses on the change of perception of the respondents. The SMAP was
conducted at the same year TESDA was allocated the highest investment by
the administration. The scholarship programme increased by about 300%
from previous years. This was part of the economic stimulus package of the
Arroyo administration, the countrys strategic response to keep the economy
from being badly hit by the global financial crisis. The scholarship programme
became the object of and reason for the TVET marketing activities. The
training for work scholarship programme is a strategy to increase access to
TVET and at the same time address the skills gap in the labour market. The
differentiation between marketing and advocacy of TVET vs. promotion of
TVET needs to be clarified. This study is focused on marketing of TVET,
TESDA and its flagship programme during the period. 10 A case study III. The
social marketing and advocacy programme The intervention that is referred
to in the study is from August 2008 to December 2009. There have been
activities undertaken previous to this, however, the organized set of
interventions were implemented during the period under study. It was also
during this period when the authors were assigned to handle the programme.
Please See Annex B for detailed schedule of implementation of each element
of the SMAP. The TESDA scholarship programme In 2009, the budget for the
scholarship programme increased three times its level in 2008. The global
financial crisis in the first quarter of the year gave an impetus for the
President to provide more support to the scholarship programme. The
objective is to equip the Filipino workforce with skills to retool or develop
skills required in companies and sectors that are not affected by the crisis.
Additional funding of P3.6B for the scholarship, from its P2B level in 2008,
came from the Presidents social fund. TESDA is funded by the national
government, and so are its programmes such as the scholarship programme.
While both the government and the employers recognize the importance of
technical education and skill development, only a small segment of the
Filipinos who are the beneficiaries of these opportunities have the same
appreciation of TVET. It was an effort in the beginning to entice them to take
up TVET. The slow movement of the scholarship funds in the early part of the
programme needed a communication programme to disseminate the
information to the target audience. Formulation of the communication plan A
facilitator was invited to lead a group of senior officials and pubic information
staff of TESDA. Communication planning is not a core competency of TESDA
thus the need to invite an expert who could provide the inputs as well as
directions in developing strategies for the effective implementation of its
advocacy programme. This was the first attempt at crafting a
communications plan and it was during this exercise that the TESDA head
and the group responsible for its implementation learned about the need to
focus and decided to use only one or at most two key messages, to
effectively deliver the message to its audience. The first communication plan
was aimed at a conservative goal of doubling the awareness rating in the
previous year, which was the awareness rating of the director general,
assuming that the public awareness of the head of agency is the same level
as that of the agency. There was no other benchmark information available at
that time on which to base the public awareness level. This assumption later
on in the period under study, proved to be an underestimation of the level of
awareness that can be attained by the agency compared to the level of
awareness of the head of agency. For the following year, there was more solid
basis with which to project a more realistic goal. The main objectives of the
communication plan and the advocacy programme were the following: 1) for
parents, youth, career shifters and unemployed - to make them aware of
TVET and the opportunities it offers, the job opportunities available in the
labour market, and encourage them to enrol in TVET programme; 2) for the
schools to inform them of the labour market demand and consider these in
the offering of their programmes; 3) for policy makers and legislators to
increase their appreciation of the role of TVET in economic development and
entice them to increase the budget allocation for TVET. Increasing public
awareness of TVET in the Philippines 11 The plan formulated in the last
quarter of 2008 and revisited/revised in 2009 laid down the various media,
strategies and activities to be undertaken for the period. Several possible
media delivery and content for the advocacy programme were then
proposed, deliberated and pre-tested with media consultants. The message
Several messages were recommended and after presentation to the national
directorate and the head of agency, two slogans reflective of the key
messages were finally accepted: 1) Sa TESDA, gaganda ang buhay mo.
(Through TESDA, a better life awaits you); and 2) Sa TESDA, may laban ka.
(Through TESDA, you will be empowered or Through TESDA, you have a
chance to win) The main idea was to present TVET as a means to a lifestyle
which people wish to have. TESDA is their vehicle to achieve their dreams
and aspirations. The second slogan, which was actually crafted in the
beginning of the first quarter of 2009, during which time the impact of the
global economic crisis will be felt in the country, is suggestive of the ability of
the person to combat economic difficulties if he has the right skills. TESDA is
there to provide the skills that a worker or a person would need to survive
any ill effects of the economic crunch. The audience The low regard for
manual labour, and TVET, is a universal challenge for TVET practitioners. It is
often viewed as an alternative track for those with low mental ability and/or
limited, if not absence of financial resources to enrol in degree programmes.
Every parents desire for their children is a college degree and become
professionals. Most of the schools, on the other hand, offer programmes
requiring low capital investments, particularly on training equipment. They
have limited information on the requirements of the labour market. On the
part of the government, budget allotted for TVET has not seen any
remarkable increase since the time TESDA was established in 1994. This, to a
large extent, limits the number of enrolees in TVET programmes. The above
situation has led to several problems. The number of unemployed, including
those who are educated, remains high in the country. There is a mismatch
between the supply of graduates produced by educational institutions and
demand of industry for workers. TESDAs SMAP, therefore, targeted varied
audiences; primarily youth, parents, the unemployed, career shifters, schools,
and industries. Other audiences included policy makers, legislators and the
general public. Media selection and delivery In communicating the message,
the benefits and advantages of TVET were highlighted. Information on skills
that are in high demand in the local and global market was included in the
key messages. Courses offered, procedures and requirements for availment,
including the addresses and contact numbers of TESDA offices and
institutions, were made available to the public. Successful graduates of
different qualifications (e.g. welding, cooking, consumer electronics servicing)
and age range (18 and above) were themselves tapped as endorsers. Also of
great significance is the endorsement of the head of TESDA who talks about
the advantages of TVET and the available jobs in the labour market. His
participation and appearances in the various social marketing activities
added credence to the advocacy of the agency. 12 A case study The
messages were packaged primarily in the form of selected success stories of
past TESDA graduates with considerable achievements. These were
dramatized and featured in several TV and radio programmes regularly
throughout the period. The same were also featured on newspapers,
magazines, books and other publications. In addition, thousands of brochures,
flyers and leaflets containing information on TESDA programmes and services
were printed and circulated during exhibits and TESDA-sponsored public
events conducted regularly throughout the period of the SMAP. The same
content were also printed on regularly run advertisements on major
newspapers and magazines with nationwide circulation. To gain the widest
exposure and reach as many audiences as possible, TESDA utilized both print
and broadcast media, social/digital media and interpersonal communication
in its advocacy programme. The various activities were undertaken by the
entire organization consisting of its Central Office as well as its network of
field offices located around the country. The Central Office carried out its
advocacy activities through multi-media and social media to reach out to the
entire nation. The field offices, on the other hand, used extensively
interpersonal communication in their respective areas. The Central Office
developed all the advocacy materials which were then disseminated through
the field offices. Use of multi-media Broadcast media6 In the Philippines,
broadcast media, particularly radio and television, are very popular. They
have proven to be effective tools in disseminating information to the public
because of their speed and wide coverage. Aware of this fact, TESDA made
use of the broadcast media in its social marketing and advocacy programme.
The Central Office arranged appearances on various national radio and TV
programmes where TESDA officials talk about TESDA and its programmes and
services. TESDA officials in the field offices, on the other hand, had their
interviews on local radio programmes. In some areas, the TESDA offices
maintained their own radio programmes where they regularly disseminate
information to the public.
Question #2: Technical Vocational Educational and training (TVET) in the Philippines
are faced with several challenges that need careful attention. Explain the following
issues that the sector must look into:

a. Social bias against TVET

b. ould a bias against vocational education be keeping young people

unemployed?

c. If the Finnish approach is anything to go by, technical and vocational

education and training, or TVET, could provide a means of tackling
youth unemployment. While a negative social bias has often prevented
young people, in both developing and developed countries, from
enrolling on vocational track programmes, Finland's reforms over the
past decade have made TVET popular, contributing to lower youth
unemployment rates.

d. One reason for high youth unemployment across the world and
particularly in developing countries is a growing mismatch between
the supply and demand for skills. In most African countries there is an
oversupply of social science and business graduates but an undersupply
of engineers, scientists and technicians. Domestic skills shortages mean
that countries rely on foreign labour to fill high demand for technically-
skilled personnel.

e. Developing countries could minimise skills mismatches by placing

greater emphasis on TVET. Vocational education tends to result in a
faster transition into the workplace, and countries that have it at the
core of the curriculum such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the
Netherlands have been successful in maintaining low youth
unemployment rates. Yet by contrast few African governments, for
example, allocate adequate funding to this.

f. Moreover, in many developing countries, young people and their

parents shun vocational education, which they regard as a 'second-
choice' education option. Its low status is often rooted in countries'
colonial past, associated with the training received by 'inferior' groups
for blue-collar jobs. Vocational track programmes therefore attract few
students. The research that has focused on African countries, has shown
the enrolment rate in secondary-level TVET is 5% or less.

g. Its low status is also linked to quality concerns. Many people associate
vocational track programmes with low academic performance, poor
 quality provision and blocked future pathways. Their concerns are often
justified: in most African countries for example, vocational tracks do not
lead to higher education, the teachers are low-paid and under-qualified,
and learning environments are outdated.

h. To unlock the potential of vocational education requires radical reforms

to the education system and sustained campaigns to change social
perceptions.

i. So what practical lessons does Finland have for developing countries?

The International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and
Training recently held an eForum online conference to gather
knowledge, experiences, innovations and promising practices on how to
increase TVET's role and impact in tackling youth unemployment.
Attendees of the virtual conference included a delegate from Finland
who outlined how her country successfully overcame bias against TVET.

j. According to Mervi Jansson, director of educational partnerships

at Omnia, a TVET institution with 10,000 students, Finland's systematic
efforts to upgrade the quality and status of TVET have paid off. Today
over 50% of Finnish youth apply for the programmes, and it is now
more competitive than general education. Last spring, 70% of
applications to the vocational education track were successful, as against
94% to the general education track.

k. Finland's success is based on external and internal policy shifts.

Legislative reforms since 2000 allow TVET students to progress to
further studies at university or applied sciences level and provide its
institutions with the same generous basic and development funding as
general education institutions. Finland's curriculum has been
restructured to include the national core curriculum required for access
to university, as well as strong on-the-job training and lifelong learning
components. Finally, TVET schools across Finland promote their
services to parents by arranging regular visits and parents' evenings.

l. EForum participants identified measures that countries can adopt to

raise the status and quality of TVET:

m. Change legislation, so that TVET is not a 'dead end' but leads to further
education.
n. Some countries rely on donor financing to meet their education costs,
so TVET will be competing with primary and basic education for funds.
We need to increase funding, so that TVET institutions can pay teachers
reasonable salaries, upgrade learning environments and invest in
professional development.

o. Integrate on-the-job training and lifelong learning into the TVET

curriculum to ensure that graduates are job-ready yet adaptable to
changing skills requirements.

p. Raise teaching quality by increasing the qualifications levels required

of TVET teachers and making pedagogical training obligatory.

q. Encourage companies and other key stakeholders to co-operate in

TVET planning and processes, including curriculum design, training
and mentoring.

r. Publicise TVET's benefits to parents through publicity campaigns,

parents' evenings and showcasing student achievements.

s. Obviously, these measures would need to be tailored to developing

countries' unique circumstances. In addition, countries would need to
find ways of changing social perceptions of TVET.

t. The Finnish example is of course no blueprint. Even in its own context,

it is only one part of the youth unemployment puzzle: Finland itself
continues to suffer from high youth unemployment, despite upgrading
its TVET system, because it relies too heavily on a few large firms to
provide jobs for its population as evidenced during Nokia's recent
collapse. While Finland has begun to place greater emphasis on
entrepreneurship, including incorporating entrepreneurship education
into the TVET curriculum, it still needs to undertake basic labour
market reforms. While developing countries also need to address
structural issues that impede youth employment, it is time we took a
more thoughtful look at the potential of vocational education.

b. Delineation/ coordination of teda, DepED, CHE and

other agency