TESDA-NCR forges partnership with Bossjob to bolster tech-voc graduates’ employability

Bossjob, the chat-first career platform for professional hiring in Southeast Asia (SEA), has signed a strategic partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-National Capital Region (TESDA-NCR) to boost the employability of technical vocational education and training (TVET) graduates.

Aligned with TESDA-NCR’s program, CollaboraTVET: Forging Partnerships for TVET Excellence, Bossjob will offer specialized training programs tailored to the needs of TESDA graduates, along with exclusive job opportunities and career development resources.

The CollaboraTVET program seeks to partner up with other government agencies, academia, business groups, and various industries to advance and enhance TVET across the region.

“The CollaboraTVET initiative, emanating from the program of TESDA Secretary Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu, underscores our dedication to fostering strategic alliances, particularly with private industries. Our primary objective is to ensure that our TVET programs are finely attuned to meet the evolving demands of these industries,” TESDA-NCR Regional Director Engr. Jovencio Ferrer, Jr. said.

The partnership was formally institutionalized during a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing ceremony on March 20, 2024, at the TESDA Complex, Taguig City. This marks a significant step forward in aligning professional hiring practices with the evolving needs of the workforce, leveraging Bossjob’s innovative technology and TESDA’s comprehensive training programs to address the skills gap in the country’s workforce.

“We are honored to embark on this groundbreaking partnership with TESDA, a collaboration that resonates with Bossjob’s core mission to revolutionize the professional hiring landscape in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines. This collaboration is about forging an ecosystem enriched with our innovative tools and programs where TESDA graduates can flourish and significantly contribute to the country’s economic prosperity. We are committed to working hand in hand with TESDA to ensure that our programs are finely tuned to the evolving needs of the workforce and the industries we serve. We are excited to set forth on this journey in ensuring that with every step we take alongside TESDA, we are guaranteeing success for every TESDA graduate and, by extension, bolstering the economic fabric of the Philippines,” Bossjob Country Manager Kimberly Chen said.

Geared towards TESDA’s commitment to empowering individuals through skills development and employment opportunities, the partnership focuses on competency standards development, training, and assessment, as well as the establishment of industry boards. This seeks to create employment opportunities for the graduates of TESDA-NCR, ensuring that the skilled workforce finds rewarding careers in various industries.

TESDA provides inclusive and free TVET for Filipinos to help enhance their competency and employability in their chosen fields. The agency is currently offering 316 training regulations, 74 competency standards, and 570 diploma programs. In 2023, TESDA reported over 1.2 million graduates of technical vocational education and training (tech-voc) courses, and more than 800,000 received certification as skilled workers from across the country.

“At TESDA, we recognize the significant role played by employment generators within the TVET ecosystem. Our esteemed partners serve as our primary source of insight, articulating their knowledge essential for modern workplaces. This embodies our commitment to Area-Based and workforce requirements, thereby enabling us to equip our learners with the requisite skills and Demand-Driven (ABDD) TVET, reflecting TESDA’s vital role in shaping a workforce prepared for the challenges of the 21st century,” Ferrer, Jr. added.

Bossjob and TESDA share a common vision of bridging the Filipino workforce with meaningful career opportunities. Since entering the Philippine market in 2018, Bossjob has been at the forefront of harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new technologies to redefine the professional hiring landscape. The hiring platform offers accurate AI-enabled talent matching and direct chat features, which significantly boosts hiring efficiency for both job seekers and companies.

Bossjob’s data from last year revealed that over 80% of job seekers initiated chats with employers upon joining the platform, and employers responded at an impressive average rate of 70%. Furthermore, these interactions led to a successful matching rate of approximately 50%. The platform’s high level of engagement and matching success underscores the potential to significantly elevate the career prospects of TESDA graduates.

Staying true to its commitment to revolutionizing the professional hiring landscape, Bossjob recently introduced new features that connect users to global and remote job opportunities aimed at bridging SEA talents with careers worldwide, emphasizing flexibility in work arrangements.

In addition to technological advancements, Bossjob’s community engagement helped facilitate over 1,000 job opportunities from more than 70 leading Filipino and local Chinese companies when it co-organized the 2nd Filipino-Chinese Job Fair at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City in October 2023.

With a growing presence in Asia, including the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and Hong Kong, Bossjob aims to reach over 30 million users in SEA by 2026. As part of its efforts to expand its global market, it has started offering free services this year.