TESDA’s Syjuco pushes for ‘ladderized’ education

The national government, through the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), has introduced for immediate implementation the "Ladderized Education Program," wherein students will be able to finish their college studies without much financial difficulties and constraints.

TESDA Director General Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco said that under the program, a student can finish his or her studies in six to seven years because of the fact that the student will have the chance of working for a living at the same time.

Syjuco explained that a student under the "ladderized program" will have an advantage in terms of added experiences over traditional college degree holders.

Among the technical-vocational (Tech-Voc) training courses included in the program are tourism, including hotel and restaurant management; health including nursing and medical services; marine engineering and marine transportation; agriculture and fisheries; information and communication technology; engineering; technical education; and criminology.

Citing the traditional four-year course of nursing as example, Syjuco explained that a student through the "ladderized program" can start by taking up studies as a caregiver, then as a nursing aide, nursing attendant, up to midwifery, until the student becomes a nurse under the "ladderized" approach.

Syjuco explained that those who have reached at least second year in college would be given the opportunity to avail of the program, and for those who qualified, the government will be providing an initial amount of P5,000 as financial assistance.

Syjuco clarified that an interested students must first enroll in a related Tech-Voc course before being accepted to the program.