In a significant achievement for vocational education in the Caraga Region, 10,319 scholars successfully completed their Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs in 2024, according to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA-13). The announcement was made by TESDA-Caraga Regional Director Florencio Sunico Jr. during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum held in Butuan City on December 17, 2024.
Of these graduates, 2,892 have been assessed by TESDA, and 2,723 have received their certificates of completion. The employment rate among these scholars stands at an impressive 55.4%, a figure monitored through a new tracking system implemented by TESDA, which conducts a census six months post-graduation.
Surigao del Sur led the region with the highest number of TVET graduates at 2,866, followed by Agusan del Sur with 2,456, Agusan del Norte with 2,085, Surigao del Norte with 1,974, and Dinagat Islands with 938. The completed programs ranged from the Training for Work Scholarship to the Coconut Farmers Scholarship, covering a broad spectrum of vocational training initiatives.
Additionally, TESDA-13 reported that 38,203 individuals in the region completed various training modalities this year. Surigao del Norte topped the list with 10,357 completers, followed by Surigao del Sur with 8,566, Agusan del Norte with 7,500, Agusan del Sur with 5,976, and Dinagat Islands with 5,804.
Director Sunico highlighted TESDA’s commitment to the ‘TESDABest’ 8-point agenda, a strategic initiative led by TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration. This agenda aims to enhance access to TVET, promote behavioral and mindset changes, update competency standards and training regulations, ensure demand-driven and data-driven TVET, improve employment outcomes, offer flexible learning and facilities, boost global competitiveness and good housekeeping, and harmonize with the senior high school curriculum, ladderization with higher education, and lifelong learning pathways.
The top sectors for TESDA-registered programs in Caraga include agriculture, forestry and fishery, tourism, metals and engineering, automotive and land transportation, and construction, reflecting the region’s diverse vocational training landscape.