THE TESDA WOMEN’S CENTER TRACER STUDY OF GRADUATES …

THE TESDA WOMEN’S CENTER TRACER STUDY OF GRADUATES FROM 2014 - 2016
Conducted by:
Lead Researchers
TWC TRAINERS
WENNY B. CABANTOG CHRISTINE JOY K. PALIT-ANG ANA MARIA C. GATCHALIAN
FARIDAH P. DANDAMUN MARIA REGINA C. ANSAY
CHARMAINE P. FIDER SHELLA D. BAWAR
JENNIFER O. CAOILE KIMBERLY G. BAUTISTA
IRENE B. MORTEL MARIA ICELY M. VILLAGRACIA
BRYAN M. LANDICHO RODOLFO D. GONZALES
Formatted: Centered
Chapter 1
Introduction The Problem and Background Academic and training Institutions use Tracer Studies to evaluate and enhance existing programs and procedures based on information gathered from various stakeholders. Since the TESDA Women’s Center (TWC) aims to be a leading Knowledge Hub on Women Empowerment in TVET in ASEAN in line with the proposed expansion of the Center in preparation for the Philippines’ leadership role in ASEAN 50 and grow as the Center for ASEAN Women Research, Development and Vocational Training, it has decided to conduct a Tracer Study of its trainee graduates. This Tracer Study shall get information on the post-graduation employment, challenges encountered after graduation, the relevance and impact of the courses taken, as well as suggestions on how to improve the curriculum, among others, from the trainee graduates in the batches covered by the years 2014 to 2016. This study shall report on the findings of the Tracer Study.
Statement of the problem This Tracer Study shall answer the question of what has become of the TWC trainees after graduation and what their employment status means for the TWC curricula. Specifically, the study shall look into the following:
• The profile of the graduates upon their enrolment as TWC trainees;
• The employment status of the graduates six months after graduation;
• The factors that have helped and/or delayed employment of the graduates; and
• The implications of these factors with the TWC curriculum. The Research Framework This tracer study used a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods relating to the educational frameworks, curriculum assessment and employment in order to come up with a descriptive study.
Study Framework The Tracer Study results shall relate to the TWC’s general training curriculum and competency assessment and employment. The theoretical framework follows social development theories that shows increase in training uptake, particularly TVET, leads to employment whether self-
The TESDA Women’s Center Tracer Study of Graduates from 2014-2016
TESDA Tracer Study, 21 May 2018 3
employment, formal employment, or increased productivity, which contributes to national economic development. The conceptual framework of the Tracer Study is shown below while a brief discussion of the framework’s concepts is discussed after.
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of the Research
Definition of Concepts
• TVET Graduate Profile - Covers the following indicators: age, sex, date enrolled and finished, whether employed or not prior to enrolment, and other information in the registration forms which may be found relevant to the study.
• TVET Program of TWC - Refers to the competency-based skills training program completed by the trainee graduate enrolled from 2014 to 2016.
• National Competency Assessment - Refers to the NC II assessment where the trainee achieves a “Competent” or “Not Yet Competent” rating.
• Development - Refers to the following indicators: current employment status, skills utilization, income, education, and others.
• Employment Status - Refers to whether the trainee graduate was employed or unemployed after the training.
• Skills Utilization - Refers to whether the skills acquired by the trainee graduate are used in their job, if employed.
• Income - Refers to the salary or wage received by the trainee graduate in their job, if employed.
• Education - Refers to the continuing education of the trainee graduate after the training.
Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the Technical Education Skills Development Act of 1994(Republic Act No. 7796) to encourage the participation and mobilization of the industry, labor, and local government units and technical- vocational institutions in developing the human resources of the country. The mandates accorded to TESDA are:1
• Integrating, coordinating, and monitoring skills development programs;
• Restructuring efforts to promote and develop middle-level manpower;
• Approving skills standards and tests;
• Developing an accreditation system for institutions involved in middle-level manpower development;
• Funding programs and projects for technical education and skills development; and
• Assisting trainers training programs. TESDA defines Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as “[t]he education or training process where it involves, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life and social life, comprises formal (organized programs as part of the school system) and non- formal (organized classes outside the school system) approaches.”2 TESDA provides access to TVET programs through direct training provisions delivered through schools, centers, communities, or enterprises. One of TESDA’s specialized training centers is the TESDA Women’s Center, focuses on the advancement of the economic status of women through training, entrepreneurship development, gender sensitive policies, programs and projects and research and advocacy.3 The TESDA Women’s Center The TESDA Women’s Center (TWC), originally the National Vocational Training and Development Center for Women, was established in 1996,through a Japanese Grant sourced by then Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, to ensurethat women were trained in industrial courses traditionally dominated by men.4 The TWC provides free skills training for women. One of its programs is Competency-Based Training (CBT), a TVET program that “places emphasis on what a person can do in the workplace as a result of completing a program. The training is based on curriculum developed from the competency standards specified by the industry and the learning is modular/self-paced in its structure wherein the trainee is allowed to progress at his/her own pace. It allows for multiple entry and exit in the
1 http://tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/10 2TESDA TVET Glossary of Terms Fourth Edition 3 http://tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/24 4 http://twc.tesda.gov.ph/home/
system. It also recognized both on-and off-the-job delivery modes. After successfully completing the program, the trainee is required to undergo the national competency assessment to acquire a National Certificate (NC).”5 The Women’s Center offers the following free skills trainings:6
1. Automotive Servicing NC II 2. Barista NC II 3. Bartending NC II 4. Cookery NC II 5. Dressmaking NC II 6. Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II 7. Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing NC II 8. Food and Beverage Services NC II 9. Food Processing NC II 10. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) NC II 11. Housekeeping NC II 12. Motorcycle/Small Engine Servicing NC II 13. Plumbing NC I 14. Plumbing NC II 15. Prepare Cold Meals 16. Prepare Hot Meals 17. Preventive Maintenance on Motorcycle Electrical & Mechanical Systems 18. Processed Food by Fermentation & Pickling 19. Processed Food by Salting, Curing & Smoking 20. Processed Food by Sugar Concentration 21. Service Industrial Electronic Modules, Products and Systems 22. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC I 23. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC II 24. Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC I 25. Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II
Results of the 2006 TESDA Women’s Center Tracer Study In 2006, the TWC, in cooperation with JICA conducted a Tracer Study with graduates from the following TWC Trade Area courses:
1. HRM-Food Preparation 2. HRM-Food and Beverage Services 3. HRM-Housekeeping and Guest Room Maintenance 4. HRM-Front Office Operation 5. Garments-Dressmaking 6. Garments-Industrial Sewing Machine Operation 7. Electronics 8. Food Processing 9. Automotive 10. Jewelry 11. Crafts, Gifts, and Housewares 12. Ceramics
5 http://twc.tesda.gov.ph/programs/index.php 6 Ibid. Details of the Skills Training Programs may be found here: http://twc.tesda.gov.ph/programs/application/index.php, while requirements of the programs may be found here: http://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/115
13. Welding/Metals There were also respondents from Financial Literacy Courses, and other courses.Majority of the respondents (77%) were from Metro Manila. Table 1: Sex of graduates (2006)
Sex Count Percent
Female 795 98.76
Male 10 1.24
Total 805 100.00
The trainees were relatively young with the mean age of 28 years.
Table 2: Age of graduates (2006)
Summary of Statistics Mean 28
Median 24
Total 798
Majority of the trainees were single (63%) while 33% were married. Table 3: Civil Status of graduates (2006)
Civil Status Count Percent
Total 805 100.00
Before they attended the training, a great majority of the graduates were at least high school graduates. Broken down, a third of the total respondents were high school graduates while nearly a quarter were either tech-voc graduates or college undergraduates.
Table 4: Highest educational attainment of graduatesprior to the training (2006)
Count Percent
College Undergraduate 192 23.88
Total 804 100.00
The numbers at the time of the 2006 survey show that the graduates pursued additional schooling after completing their training. The report interprets this as the appreciation of the value of education of the respondents as it provides them with ore opportunities, thereby making them feel more empowered.
Table 5: Educational Attainment at the time of the survey (2006)
Count Percent
Total 804 100.00
Only 16% of the graduates said they attended other training programs after completing the one they took in TWC.
Table 6: Attendance in other programs after TWC Training (2006)
Count Percent
Yes 123 15.53
No 669 84.47
Total 792 100.00
Majority of the respondents were unemployed before they took the training at TWC.
Table 7:Employed Before Training (2006)
Count Percent
Yes 164 20.63
No 631 79.37
Total 795 100.00
Nearly 40% of the graduates did not immediately look for work after completing their training. The reasons cited for the delay in looking for employment were: household/family duties, and waiting to be called for previous applications/rehiring.
Table 8: Reason for not getting employment after graduation(2006)
Count Percent
Awaiting results of previous application/ for rehire/job recall 83 24.85
Tired/No work available 32 9.58
Schooling 25 7.49
Temporary illness/disability 11 3.29
Others 57 17.07
Total 334 100.00
Most of the respondents that looked for work immediately after graduation waited less than a month to find work. Table 9: Length of waiting time for first job after the training (2006)
Count Percent
One to six months 43 13.74
Four to six months 25 7.99
More than six months 24 7.67
Total 313 100.00
Over half of the trainees found their wait time to be employed to be short.
Table 10: Perception of length of time searching for work after graduation (2006)
Count Percent
Short 217 55.50
Total 391 100.00
Majority of the respondents did not encounter problems in looking for a job after graduating from TWC training.
Table 11: Problems encountered in job search after graduation from TWC Training (2006)
Count Percent
No or few jobs related to my training 11 2.89
Employers considered me unqualified 15 3.95
Employers considered me overqualified 1 0.26
No or few jobs that interested me 1 0.26
No or few jobs that provided attractive salary 7 1.84
Others 47 12.37
Total 380 100.00
Over half of the respondents were employed during the 2006 survey. Table 12: Employment status during the survey (2006)
Count Percent
Employed 360 55.81
Unemployed 285 44.19
Total 645 100.00
Table 13 shows the occupations of the graduates at the time of the 2006 Survey, where most of them were working in production as factory workers. Table 13: Occupation of graduates during the survey (2006)
Count Percent
Customer relations 11 3.59
Laborer 9 2.94
Other 21 6.86
Total 306 100.00
In terms of the nature of employment, the table below shows that those with job security and those without are very nearly equal. Table 14: Nature of employment during the survey (2006)
Count Percent
Permanent 177 49.72
Short-term/Casual 175 49.16
Daily 3 0.84
Total 356 100.00
Eighty-one percent of the graduates were able to use what they learned in their work. However, nearly 20% of the respondents did not find any use for the training. Table 15: Usefulness of training (2006)
Count Percent
Total 570 100.00
A large majority of the respondents have said that they will recommend the TWC trainings to others. Table 16:Will recommend training attended to others (2006)
Count Percent
Total 546 100.00
The table below lists the suggestions that the graduates recommend to improve the training programs they took. Table 17:Graduates recommendations to enhance the training program (2006)
Count Percent
Increase the duration of the training 53 10.27
Add more topics/modules for discussion 43 8.33
Improve teaching methods other than practical applications 39 7.56
Make substantial changes to the whole curriculum 6 1.16
Lessen the duration of the training 2 0.39
Other 33 6.40
Other reasons cited were that the certification the trainee got was only NCII but needs an NC3 for air conditioning.
Chapter 3
Research Methodology The Method The study is descriptive which made use of a mixed approached : one in a quantitative manner with the conduct of a survey as its primary data collection method; and the other is qualitative which made use of focus group discussions with trainers to help the researcher ground the research questions. Originally, secondary research analysis was proposed to be the predominant method used in this Tracer Study along with descriptive design, and mixed of quantitative and qualitative methods. However the data provided only some preliminary information about the enrollees and graduates at the TWC. Secondary research means that the data to be studied are based on internal and external documents. This is data coming from the organization itself. The descriptive design means that the study shall describe the phenomenon at hand, which may or may not test a hypothesis, and provide an assessment of measured performances related to the variables being studied. To establish the foundation of the Tracer Study shall it made use of qualitative approaches, such as key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with stakeholders such as the TWC faculty and responses from graduates to validate the findings and outcomes from the secondary and the survey data.
Differentiated Data Gathering Methods The following methods for data and information collection shall be used:
1. Online Survey pertaining to the online questionnaire given to facilitators to be distributed to and answered by TESDA TWC Graduates that seeks to identify their employment status after finishing the course they took in TESDA.
2. Desk Review pertaining to the available secondary data for TWC. The data gathered from this shall provide the indicators and variables informing the analysis of the survey results.
3. Focus Group Discussions refer to the qualitative method where homogenous groupings are
organized for a discussion about the research focus.
Sampling Design The Tracer Study Survey shall make use of convenience sampling7, a non-probabilistic sampling method. The TWC facilitators/trainers were enlisted to share the survey with the graduates from 2014 to 2016 that they are in contact with through text, email, or their Facebook page. Considering that not all the TWC graduates from 2014 to 2016 have a chance to participate in the study since it is conducted online, and is dependent on whether the contact details provided by the graduate to the
7 https://research-methodology.net/sampling-in-primary-data-collection/convenience-sampling/
institution or their facilitators is still correct. Time and budget constraints have also led to the decision to the use of this type of sampling for the survey. Focus group discussions with the facilitators and, if possible, graduates shall be conducted. The table below shall be used to summarize the sampling frame of the groups of clusters the Tracer Study.
Primary Sample
Total Population
Sample Size
N N Trainers available for focus group discussion
N N
N N
Primary Data
These data come from the respondents’ surveyed and those who participated in the focus group discussions.
Secondary Data Documents, reports, and other related studies will form part of the secondary data. In the draft and final reports, the sources and title of the secondary data will be provided.
Instruments The draft research instruments, including checklists for secondary data, questionnaire, and interview schedules are provided in the Annex section. Part of the instrument preparation is to ensure efforts toward ethical research consideration, including assurance of respondents to confidentiality of information and informed consent from the respondents which shall be written. The research team shall also observe gender fair language and the sex disaggregation of data. Data Collection Procedures During data collection, the researchers shall observe the ethical standards in research, including considerations of confidentiality of information and verbally or non-verbally seek the informed consent of respondents prior to the conduct of interviews or surveys. The research team shall also observe gender fair language.
Pre-Testing The instruments shall be pre-tested or peer tested for validity, whichever process would be more beneficial to the research. In the pre-testing validity of instruments were determined having at least 10 sample trainees currently enrolled.
Data Collection
Once the instruments are pre-tested and finalized, the research team proceeded to data collection. For the primary data collection, the research team followed protocol in informing the TWC and its concerned partners. Letters were prepared or sought from TWC to introduce the research team. The questionnaires or guide interview questions were shared with the TWC administrative team.
The secondary data were sourced from the TWC research unit and the registration office. The researchers were able to retrieve the information from these offices at the TESDA Women’s Center. Implementation of the survey The Online 2016 Tracer Study Survey was conducted from 24 October to 24 November 2017. The survey was administered through Google forms. The link to the survey was given to the Facilitators which they then posted in their class groups on social media. The self-administered surveys were distributed in January until March 2018. Data Analysis In general, the data analysis used the quantitative approach in the collation, organization, disaggregation, and consolidation of results. Triangulation of the results with the focus group discussion results were used to compare the collated results of the data. Disaggregation was based on the respondents’ sex, age, and location of respondents. Triangulations were used based on the trends of indicators for the research categories. Limitations of the Study Due to the lack of funds to undertake face-to-face interviews, it was decided that the questions for the 2016 Tracer Study shall be administered online. The Tracer Study aimed to perform a census of the over 3,000 TWC graduates from 2014 to 2016. However, the contact details of the graduates with TESDA was incomplete or was not up to date, which is why it was decided that the easiest way to reach the graduates was through social media. The resulting initial sample of 116 respondents gathered from the online survey. After the presentation of results to the facilitators, it was decided that 2014-2016 graduates visiting TWC shall be asked to answer the questionnaire. Another 106 respondents answered bringing the total of respondents that answered the Tracer Study survey to 219. The varying modes of survey administration have an effect on the survey results. Both the online and self-administered versions were left questionnaires not completely answered. The online survey experienced glitches that despite being tested prior to distribution due to intermittent and/or slow Internet connection, while the self-administered surveys were not answered completely. Representativeness may also still be affected due to the small number of respondents in proportion to the total number of 2014-2016 TWC graduates.
Chapter 4
Presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data The total number of enrollees from 2014 to 2016 is 3,658. The total number of respondents that answered the online questionnaire and the self-administered questionnaire for the 2016 Tracer Study was 219. Respondents’ Demographic Profile
1. A great majority of those that took the survey were women at nearly 90% (Table 18). Table 18: Sex of Respondents (2016)
Count Percent
Female 192 87.7
Male 27 12.3
Total 219 100.0
There was some ten per cent increase in the number of male respondents and ten percent decrease among female respondents in comparison with the 2006 data.
2. Most of the graduates were single at 63% (Table 19).Twenty percent of the respondents are
married; and 10% are single parents which can be considered already of significance in number. The single parent category was not included in the 2006 survey.
Table 19: Civil Status of Respondents (2016)
Count Percent
Total 219 100.0
3. Most of the trainees that enrolled from 2014-2016 completed their high school education (35.2%), while nearly half of the total respondents had college level education (48.0%) (Table 20). There increase in percentage between the 2006 and 2016 data for the High School (5%) and the College Undergraduate (4%) categories.
Table 20: Highest educational attainment of Respondents prior to the training (2016)
Count Percent
College Graduate 44 20.1
Elementary Undergraduate/Graduate 1 0.5
No data 9 4.1
Total 219 100.00
4. Below are the following the courses taken by respondents of the 2014-2016 Tracer Survey. Nearly a quarter of the respondents took up dressmaking, while housekeeping, gas metal arc welding, and bartending follow.
Table 21: Courses taken by Respondents (2016)
Count Percent
Bartending 27 12.3
Cookery 13 5.9
Barista 5 2.3
Household services 3 1.4
Caregiving 1 0.5
Total 219 100.0
5. Only 10% of the respondents took another technical-vocational program after they completed the training at TWC. The percentage is more than 5% higher in the 2006 data.
Table 22: Respondents that took other Tech-Voc programs after TWC Training (2016)
Count Percent
Employed Respondents
6. Most of the graduates were unemployed prior to taking or while taking the course (Table 23). The current data percentage is 7% less than the 2006 data. Table 23: Employed Respondents before or during the TWC training (2016)
Count Percent
7. After completing the course, 61% of graduates found employment, while those that had jobs prior or during their training kept their jobs (Table 24). Table 24: Employment of Respondents after taking the TWC training (2016)
Count Percent
Have not found a job 61 28.9
Continued with the job 22 9.9
Total 219 100.0
8. Most of the respondents found work within three months after graduation (28.2%), with those finding work less than a month after graduation at 16.2% while those that found jobs between 1-3 months after graduation at nearly 14% (Table 25). The percentage for “less than a month waiting” is higher (70%) in the 2006 data.
Table 25: Time spent on job seeking by Respondents that
found employment after training (2016)
Count Percent
1-3 months 19 14.0
4-6 months 14 10.3
No data 77 56.6
Total 136 100.0
9. Fourteen percent of graduates felt that they waited just the right amount prior to finding a job while 10% found the wait period to be short, and 9% found the wait to be long (Table 26). In the 2006 data, 55% of the respondents found it a short while for finding employment.
Table 26: Perception of length of job seeking by Respondents that
Count Percent
Short 14 10.3
Long 12 8.8
Total 136 100.0
10. Twenty-one percent of the respondents said they did not experience any problems in looking for a job, while 10% of respondents felt that the relatively low salary offered by the jobs in their sector was a problem (Table 27). In the previous study, the “no problems encountered” category a very high 78% number of respondents answered in the 2006 data.
Table 27: Problems encountered in looking for work by Respondents that
Count Percent
The salary is not very good 14 10.3
Other problems 9 6.6
No or not a lot of work is available related to the course taken 2 1.4
No data 127 57.3
Total 136 100.0
11. Over half of the respondents work in the formal sector, nearly 15% are self-employed, while 11% are in the informal sector (Table 28). Nearly 60% of graduates have full-time jobs, while nearly 11% have contract-based employment, and nearly 10% are self-employed (Table 29).
Table 28: Sector where employed Respondents belong
Count Percent
Count Percent
Self-employed 15 9.5
Part-time 5 3.2
Other 1 0.6
Total 158 100.0
12. Accommodations and food services, other services activities, and construction are the industries where most of the respondents are employed (Table 30) in the recent survey. The production and factory work was highest in the 2006 data.
Table 30: The industry to which employed respondents belong
Count Percent
Other service activities 30 19.0
Construction 17 10.8
Education 7 4.4
Manufacturing 6 3.8
Electricity, gas, steam, air-conditioning 5 3.2
Activities in households as employers 4 2.5
Administrative and support services 2 1.3
Arts, entertainment, recreation 2 1.3
Information and communication 2 1.3
Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 2 1.3
Transportation and storage 2 1.3
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1 0.6
Human health, social work 1 0.6
Real estate activities 1 0.6
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 1 0.6
No data 27 17.1
Total 158 100.0
13. Nearly 75% of employed respondents say that what they learned in the training they took was useable in their work. Those that seldom or did not use the skills they learned at TWC, most common reason is that the work they had was different from the course they took, and that what they learned was not needed in their current job. In the 2006 data, the usefulness of the training was 61% or more than 10% less than the current percentage.
Table 31: How often employed respondents use what they learned on the job
Count Percent
Unemployed Respondents
14. Nearly half of the unemployed respondents said they did not look for work a week prior to taking the Tracer Survey (Table 32).
Table 32: Currently unemployed respondents that looked for
work in the week prior to answering the survey
Count Percent
Looked for work 20 32.8
No data 11 18.0
Total 61 100.0
15. Tiredness, and work not being available at the moment are the top two reasons identified by the unemployed respondents while 38% say that there are other reasons for them not looking for work (Table 33). In the 2006 data, “household family duties” and “awaiting results of previous applications” were the top answers.
Table 33: Reasons that currently unemployedhad in not looking for work
Count Percent
Currently studying 4 6.6
Waiting for rehiring/job recall 2 3.3
Waiting for application results 2 3.3
Illness/temporary disability 1 1.6
Other reasons 23 37.8
No data 10 16.4
Total 61 100.0
16. Most of the unemployed respondents found that their wait to find a job is very long (37.7%), nearly 28% said that their wait was just right (Table 34). This is the opposite in the 2006 data. The respondents waited only for a month to find their first job after the training.
Table 34: Perception of length job seeking by unemployed respondents (2016)
Count Percent
Short 9 14.8
Long 2 3.3
Total 61 100.0
17. Nearly 46% of the unemployed respondents said that they wanted to work at TESDA, while 28% said that they would appreciate getting work referrals as the help they want to receive from the Agency.
Table 35: Unemployed – Help want to receive from TESDA (2016)
Count Percent
TESDA to give work referrals 17 27.9
Help in trainings 6 9.8
Receive help on Assessment 1 1.6
No data 9 14.8
Chapter 5
Conclusion and Recommendations Eighty-three percent of the respondents were employed after they took the training with 61% finding employment after the training, and 22% were already employed prior to or during the training. Over half of the employed respondents had full-time employment within the formal sector. Most the respondents were employed in the accommodations and food services, other services activities, and the construction industries. The perception of the wait period before finding a job differs. In 2006, 56% found the wait period to find a job to be short, an only 14% found it long. In 2016, 14% of respondents that found their wait period as just right, 10% found it long, while 8.8% said that the wait was long. Most of the employed respondents waited up to three months before getting employed. For unemployed respondents, nearly 40% said that the wait period was very long, while nearly 30% said that the wait period was just right. These results signify that the wait period for jobs, based on the respondents’ perception, is getting longer. The findings show that employed respondents used what they learned in training less than the trainees in 2006 did. Seventy-five percent of respondents in 2016 were able to use their learning’s at work, while in 2006, 81% found the trainings received to be of use at work. Nearly 20% were unable to use what they learned in the 2006 survey, while only 5% of the respondents said they were unable to use what they learned in the 2016survey but nearly 15% of respondents did not answer this question. Nearly half of the unemployed respondents said they did not look for employment during the week they answered the survey. The top reasons that they did not look for work were that they were very tired (14.8%), or that they could not find work (11.5%). However, 38% said they had other (unspecified) reasons for not looking for work during that week. Those unemployed would like to work at TESDA (45.9%) or would like TESDA to provide work referrals (27.9%) During the focus group discussion with the Facilitators, they said that the reason why graduates could not find work was due to peer influence. They were of the opinion that the collective morale of the group/batch is affected when none or only a few of them find work. This demoralizes the batchmates and lessens their enthusiasm to look for work. This affects their confidence – whether in terms of their confidence in looking for work, or their ability to apply what they have learned in the training. Their confidence also takes a dip when the women are discriminated against because of their civil status, age, gender, height, and/or physical appearance. There is an acknowledged preference towards male applicants when it comes to welding jobs. There are also some employers that prefer single applications over those that are married. The Facilitators recommended that language studies in the continuing education curriculum, and that TESDA or TWC actively tap local government units as TTI partners for the program’s increased outreach.
The table below shows the respondents suggestions to improve TWC trainings.
Table 36: Suggestions to improve the course you took in TWC (2016)
Course should be taught over a longer period of time
Improve teaching methods/style
More manual brewing equipment
There should be machines available at the site
Trainee should undergo on-the-job training to let them familiarize, practice proper sewing and pattern making. So that they can easily hired and will get good salary.
Upgraded vehicles
Advanced pattern making
Baking - bread and pastries
Embroidery
EPAS
Fabrication
Guest relations - interactions, exposure
Lessons in wine service
OJT - More practical exposure
Training in professional and international services in different ways and cultures.
Annex 1: TESDA TWC TRACER STUDY SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 2014-2016 (ATTACHED FILE) Annex 2: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION: PERCEPTION OF TRAINERS ON THE WHEREABLOUTS AND CHALLENGES OF GRADUATES Updates from the graduates
• Work abroad
• Continued college
• Stereotyping or gender-segregation (electrical) o Women graduates are not deployed in doing field work
Estimated percentage of graduates absorbed for employment per year per sector
• Plumbing – 95%
• Welding – 100%
• Dress-making – 80%
• Food processing – 17% Feedback from the graduates
• The need for a thinner welding material since most of the graduates are more familiar in using thicker sheets for welding
• Dress-making graduates wanted to learn how to use other machines
• Skill sets of Bar tending and FBS graduates are ahead of their peers
• For graduates working abroad, there is a need to learn another language Reasons why graduates could not find work
• Peer influence – when other batchmates could not find work, somehow, this influences other individuals from the same batch to not find work
• Confidence o some are not that confident to look for work o not confident enough to apply what they’ve learned after months of no practice
(automotive)
• Discrimination – civil status, age, gender, height and physical appearance o Preference of male applicants over female (welding) o Preference of single applicants over married
• Underqualified (need to be more specific with this kind of answer) o Mismatch of skills
• Starting own family – graduates go back to the province
• Proximity o Workplace is far from family o Salary is not enough to cover fare expenses or room rental fees
Recommendation