THE Senate’s final and approved version of the proposed 2025 national budget allocates P70 million to boost the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) digital transformation, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian, Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), pushed the P70 million peso allocation to fund three projects: P40 million for the acquisition and development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) course builder, P20 million for the Internet of Things (IoT) training system, and P10 million for the development of an AI-powered Labor Market Information (LMI) System.

The AI-powered TVET course builder will speed up course development and make it more cost-efficient through automation, which minimizes the need for extensive human resources. It will reduce the time to develop and update training regulations, competency standards, competency-based curriculum, and competency assessment tools.

The course builder will also ensure that all training materials are of the highest quality, industry-aligned, and relevant to the job market. It seeks to make TVET programs more consistent through standardized course content, assessments, and competencies. Also, it will enable the rapid scaling of TVET programs nationwide to meet the rising demand for skilled workers.

The IoT training system seeks to empower students with skills to operate, program, and maintain IoT devices and networks, which will help them prepare for careers in smart technology applications in industrial automation, healthcare, and agriculture, among other fields. The AI-powered LMI system seeks to leverage AI to identify emerging industry needs, predict workforce shortages, and guide educational institutions in aligning training programs with market demands.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Camille P. Balagtas