House probe sought over TESDA's 'defective, inadequate' training program

A measure has been filed at the House of Representatives calling for an investigation into the "defective and inadequate" training programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) that have resulted in only less than six of every 100 graduates getting employed.

A total of 17 lawmakers have filed House Resolution 1394 to probe TESDA's "failure to effectively and efficiently perform its mandate under the law” despite its increasing funding every year.

The resolution stemmed from a Commission on Audit (COA) report flagging TESDA over the "poor" outcome of its Special Training for Employment Program (STEP), which was designed to help underprivileged Filipinos get jobs.

In its latest annual audit report on TESDA, COA pointed out that only 5.64% or 2,451 of the 75,005 graduates of STEP in 2019 landed jobs, which is below the agency's target of 65% employment rate.

This, even as TESDA was allocated a P2.1-billion budget for STEP under the 2019 General Appropriations Act.

“The employment rate achieved is substantially low compared with the agency’s target of 65% of total graduates. Hence, the program failed to attain its objective to promote employment through entrepreneurial, self-employment and service-oriented activities,” COA said.

Moreover, COA found that only 111,333 individuals, or 81% of the 137,522 available slots, enrolled for STEP in 2019.

Of these enrollees, only 75,004 were able to complete the program, and only 45,123 of them were subsequently assessed.

Only 96.4% or 43,469 passed the assessment and were issued certification as ready-to-work. Worse, only 2,451 were gainfully employed.

“Thus, the ultimate goal of the program, which is employment, showed an unfavorable rate of only 5.64%,” COA said.

The state auditing body said the STEP was supposed to benefit disadvantaged scholars, including victims of calamities, underemployed workers in the informal economy, senior citizens, and members of indigenous and cultural communities.

As a community-based specialty training program, the STEP aims to equip its beneficiaries with skills training opportunities to increase their chances of getting employed.

Scholars under the STEP received free training and competency assessment, starter toolkits and an allowance. -MDM, GMA News