Technical vocational education  plays a central role in the k-12 curriculum  that prepares students for tertiary education, middle-skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.

 Courses include automotive servicing, horticulture, welding, consumer electronics, dressmaking/tailoring, carpentry, food processing and beauty care. This tech-voc courses are  offered in accordance with the Training Regulations (TR) granted  by TESDA, as primary partner of DepEd.  These courses will be undertaken under  the T.L.E subject. In grade 7 and 8. Exploratory mini courses will be introduced once every grading period.  This is in preparation for junior and senior high school. In grade 9, students have the right to choose the course depending on their skills and aptitude while the senior high school graduates will be issued a national certificate of competency upon passing the competencyassessment. Hence, this certificate serves as proof that he/she is a job-ready skilled worker.

Focusing much concern, mentors met big challenges to comply with the requirements of the curriculum. Trainings must be given to the teachers who will assist and guide students in grade 9 up to 12.  One major requisite is that, they must  be a National Certificate Holder (NC) so they can be able to deliver with  expertise.

Tech-voc  education also  aimed to equip  students with necessary trainings, hands-on experience to develop and improved individual’s skills making them to become  globally competitive citizen thereby helping the Philippine government  reduce unemployment and poverty.  Moreover, it also widen new competencies to enhance employability and improve productivity .Given these distinctive feature of tech-voccurriculum,graduates in senior high school  will have full access  to incomeearning opportunities,improved access to employment domestic andoverseas,  improved prospectsfor entrepreneurial and self-employment endeavors.

All efforts and programs of Deped  together with TESDA for the Tech-voc education  curriculum are designed and implemented within the contextof a quality-assured  Philippine educational system  to  ensure job-ready Filipino workersmeeting the requirements of the labour markets at thelocal and international grounds.

By: Florenda C. Fabico | Teacher I | Mariveles National High School – Poblacion | Mariveles, Bataan