Press Release
August 2, 2016

VILLANUEVA VOWS TO ADDRESS JOB-SKILLS MISMATCH

Neophyte Senator Joel Villanueva has vowed to address the job-skills mismatch in the country as he files a measure aimed at providing employers specific training standards and qualifications that are aligned with industry standards.

Villanueva's Senate Bill No. 211 or "The Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) Act of 2016" intends to ensure that training and educational institutions adhere to the standards and qualifications set by the Philippine Qualifications Framework-National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC) which will be chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Education.

"With the PQF, students can gain a clearer picture of the competencies they need for their job interests while employers are able to easily identify the basic work-skills their employees must possess. Hence, the PQF can significantly reduce job-skills mismatch in the Philippines. It can also boost the international confidence among Filipino workers by making them more competitive and employable," Villanueva explained.

With his vow to improve the country's training and education system, Villanueva envisions the PQF will follow the arduous steps K to 12 system has undertaken before it was finally implemented nationwide.

"While the K to 12 system has transformed the country's basic education curriculum, the PQF will harmonize and weave together basic education, technical-vocational education and training (TVET), and higher education into a unified and quality-assured system," the senator said. The passage of the bill into law allows the crafting of a policy called National Qualification Frameworks (NQFs). This has been a major international trend in reforming national education and training systems since the late 1990s according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).

In 2012, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 83, establishing the PQF to harmonize basic education, technical-vocational education and training (TVET) and tertiary education into a nationwide schedule of skills and competencies.

"The passage of a Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) Law is earnestly sought to ensure that the qualifications needed to meet the country's economic and social needs are of good quality, provide flexibility and progression for learners, and enjoy international recognition," Villanueva said.

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