GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/8 March) – The Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) has stepped up its monitoring on accredited schools and training centers in Region 12 or Soccsksargen to ensure their compliance to government standards and regulations.
Rafael Abrogar II, TESDA-12 regional director, said they have launched a series of “on-the-spot” compliance audits on local training institutions based on guidelines set by their central office.
He said the move, which was ordered by TESDA Director General Isidro Lapena, was part of the agency’s efforts to provide the best quality skills trainings that would result to jobs or livelihood opportunities for beneficiaries.
“We go to the ground and make sure that the (training) standards are really followed,” he said in a media forum in Koronadal City on Thursday.
For instance, he said their audit team had flagged a training institution for not having proper facilities and equipment like a fire extinguisher.
Abrogar said the compliance audits are also aimed to track down and prevent possible “ghost trainings” and the enlistment of “ghost trainees” by their accredited partner-institutions.
The official said they have not yet monitored such violations among schools and trainings centers in the region.
He assured their partner-institutions that they will not have problems “if they just follow the regulations and have complied with the standards.”
TESDA central office issued early this year its Omnibus guidelines for 2019 scholarship programs.
Abrogar said the move will follow the principle of due process and erring institutions will be given a chance to explain.
“I’m positive that our partners will comply with that. (But) I will not hesitate to impose the necessary sanctions and penalties to violators,” he said.
For institutions that would be found with ghost trainings and trainees, Abrogar said the agency will revoke their approved programs and would not be included in the scholarship allocations.
“They will also be blacklisted (from operating) in the entire country,” he added. (MindaNews)
