Executive Order 358, promulgated by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on September 15, 2004, provides the mandate and legal framework for wider-scale and accelerated implementation of Ladderized Education nationwide.

What is Ladderized Education?

Ladderized Education is a new system of education in the Philippines that allows learners to progress between Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and College, and vice-versa.

Ladderized Education opens opportunities for career and educational advancement to students and workers.

Why Ladderized Education?

Traditionally, a College Degree Program is viewed as independent of Tech-Voc courses. Hence, when a Tech-Voc graduates decides to continue on to College, previous Tech-Voc courses that he has completed do not earn him credit units for an on-coming College Degree Program (CDP) of his choice.

Ladderized Education is the answer then to this wasteful duplication.

Ladderation provides the Tech-Voc graduate with Gateways or entry points to a College Degree Program where he can earn appropriate, equivalent credits for previous learning acquired in Tech-Voc. It also allows learner to obtain a Tech-Voc National Certificate that will enable him to arrive at successively ascending Job Platforms. The money he earns from his job(s) will help to finance and complete his College Education

2 different ways by which a student can transfer or move between tech-Voc and College Education?

Credit Transfer from Tech-Voc to College and Articulation

This refers to the recognition and carrying forward of overlapping learning from Tech-Voc to College. A Credit Transfer System allows the Tech-Voc graduate to earn credit units for his Tech-Voc courses. Thus, the Tech-Voc graduate readily articulates to a College Degree Program with ease.

Embedded Tech-Voc Qualification in Ladderized Degree Programs (Credit Units given from College to Tech-Voc)

This refers to Tech-Voc contents that are already included in a College Degree Program. Such contents are mapped out and identified, and the curriculum is restructured to allow a student of a Ladderized College Degree Program to earn Tech-Voc credits and qualifications without having to repeat the same Tech-Voc subjects for which he has already acquired knowleged and competence.

As agreed by TESDA and CHEd, the following guidelines should be observed by Colleges and Universities applying for authorization to operate Ladderized Programs:1. The College or University should have existing CHEd-

Recognition Programs-- in the case of Private Colleges and Universities; or Board-Approved Programs-- in the case of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs).

2. CHEd shall evaluate the existing traditional program to determine if they are still in compliance with the Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSG) set for the course offering. For Private Colleges and Universities, the minimum eligibility is prior "recognition" of the traditional program. For SUCs, an equivalent authorization from the Board of Regents is required.

3.Private Colleges and Universities and SUCs thatb will offer "new" Ladderized College Degree Programs under E.O. 358 will also be allowed to operate. They will have to submit their application to the CHEd Regional Office nearest the College or University. New Ladderized College Degree Programs are defined as those which do not have prior permit / recognition from CHEd.

4. Applications for Ladderization should be in the eight (8) identified priority disciplines, namely: a) Agriculture; b) Maritime; c) Health; d) ICT; e) Education; f) Criminology; g) Tourism / HRM; and h) Engineering.

5. The Ladderized College Degree Program should have full Tech-Voc qualifications should be contained in the Training Regulations issued by TESDA.

6. The Tech-Voc qualifications in the Ladderized College Degree Program should be registered with TESDA under the Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS).

7.

8. Submit to TESDA all the requirements for Tech-Voc Program Registration under the Ladderized System. Upon approval and issuance of a Certificate of Program Registration (CoPR), you can now proceed to CHEd and submit your Ladderized Curriculum, together with the CoRP.

9. When all requirements are satisfied, your College or University will be granted a Certificate of Approval or Authority to Offer the Ladderized Program, and will be included in the official list of accredited institutions offering Ladderized College Degree Program.

In summary, a student can eventually pursue and complete College Education while earning from the vocational course he or she has completed and have her or his previously completed Tech-Voc coures credited for equivalent units in the College Degree Program a student wants to take.