Antique: The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Antique provincial office is conducting a skills mapping to determine competencies that they need to offer in responding to industry demand. TESDA Antique provincial director Glenford Prospero said he met with the industry sector and the local government units (LGUs) to match the skills training offered by the academe or the technical vocational institutions (TVI) with the demand.

According to Philippines News Agency, Prospero stated that TESDA is playing a role in the contextualization of the curriculum to align with the industry’s needs. Prospero highlighted a demand for skilled workers in agriculture, automation, and tourism following his meeting with the Community Training and Employment Coordinators (CTEC) and the LGUs on January 28.

He indicated that since Antique is predominantly an agriculture-based province, there should be an emphasis on skills training in new farming technologies. Additionally, there is a need for training in automation, such as driving lessons and vehicle repair, as well as tour guiding for the tourism industry. Prospero noted that Antique’s growing status as a tourism destination is supported by its airport and seaports.

Prospero plans to recommend the identified skills as part of their policy review in the central office to be considered among the top 10 priority skills to be offered in Antique. He believes that addressing the gap between skills training and industry demand will lead to better employment outcomes and enhance the workforce’s capabilities.