Senator Sherwin Gatchalian assured that the 2025 national budget will continue funding assessments for senior high school (SHS) learners in the technical-vocational livelihood track (TVL) to enhance their employability.
The senator announced over the weekend that a special provision he proposed mandated these assessments for SHS-TVL learners, which is part of a broader effort to address the skills gap in the workforce.
“In order to enhance the employment prospects of senior high school learners in the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track, we are committed to providing free assessments for their national certification,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.
“In addition to securing funding for this initiative, we will advocate for a policy that mandates participation in assessments for all TVL learners in senior high school,” he added.
The TVL track is designed to equip students with practical skills that can lead directly to employment, but participation in certification assessments has historically been low.
Gatchalian pushed for an allocation of P438.162 million in the 2024 budget to support the program, although much of this funding remains unutilized due to voluntary participation.
Last year, only 926 out of 1,039 SHS-TVL learners who took the assessment received certification, significantly below the target of 420,967 graduates for Academic Year 2023-2024.
For the 2025 budget, P275.86 million will be allocated for this program, along with unspent funds from 2024, under the Department of Education’s budget.
