The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority recently launched a dual training system aimed at providing an effective way to train students in its technical-vocational sector.

TESDA deputy director general Tonisito Umali said that trainees are given the opportunity to be exposed to actual work conditions and get hands-on experience and guidance from equally qualified training coordinators.

"Moreover, apart from skills proficiency and increased productivity, the DTS also enables them to acquire work ethics and value development," Umali said.

The DTS is a training modality that combines theoretical and practical training as learning takes place alternately in two venues — the school or training center and the company or workshop.

It is also one of the training modalities under TESDA's Enterprise-Based Training.

Other EBT programs are Program on Accelerating Farm School Establishment, Apprenticeship Program, Learnership Program and Supervised Industry Learning.

Umali said that strengthening the DTS in the country will help address the unemployment and skills gap, especially among the youth and those who finished high school and tech-voc courses.

"We have to affirm that there will never be a shortage of needs and opportunities, whether locally or internationally, for the Filipino middle-level workforce whose skills are aligned and meet global standards," Umali said.