More schools in Region XI now offer ladderized courses

Do you dream of earning a college diploma but do not have the money to pay for your school fees? Or do you want to be assured of a job upon graduation? Ladderized Education Program (LEP) is for you!

The LEP can now have ladderized technical-vocational courses and subjects credited in pursuing higher education or vice-versa. This means that those who take up ladderized courses need not start all over again when they cross over from a tech-voc course to a degree course or from a degree course to a tech-voc course. How is this possible? Through Presidential Executive Order No. 358, known as the Ladderized Education Program implemented by TESDA and CHED.

To date, there are 30 TESDA-registered ladderized programs now offered in nine (9) schools in Region XI. These are: (1)University of Southeastern Philippines, Obrero, Davao City; (2)Joji Ilagan Career Center, Chavez St., Davao City; (3)Philippine College of Technology, J. P. Laurel Ave., Davao City; (4)ACES, Tagum City; (5)Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology, Mati, Davao Oriental; (6)Mati Doctor's College, Mati, Davao Oriental; (7)University of Southeastern Philippines, Pantukan, Compostela Valley; (8)Assumption College of Nabunturan, Compostela Valley; and (9)Legacy College of Compostela, Inc., Compostela Valley.

Said schools offer ladderized courses such as PC Operations and Computer Programming (which can be credited in BS Information Technology); Automotive, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, Machining, Building Wiring Installation, and Welding (which can be credited in BS Industrial Technology); Commercial Cooking, Housekeeping, Front Office Services, Food and Beverage Services, Bartending, and Baking/Pastry Production (which can be credited in BS Hotel and Restaurant Management or BS Tourism); Agri-Crops Production and Horticulture (which can be credited in BS Agri-Business).

Ladderized courses are courses which TESDA and CHED have assessed based on the national standard of skills and knowledge competencies. The curricula for ladderized courses are interfaced in such a manner that even if a student can no longer pursue his studies, he/she has already learned some units of competencies (skills) at the same time that he has acquired knowledge, which still makes him employable.

In ladderized programs, the finished subjects or competencies earned during tech-voc education need not be taken again when one decides to pursue higher education. With this, the money, time and effort spent during TVET days will not be put to waste. What's more is that there is already a possibility that if one cannot pursue college anymore because of one reason or another, one can already be considered employable because the skills training involved in the ladderized program is suited to the national standard, such that if one decides not to pursue with his/her higher education, one can still find a job that suits his/her qualification.