TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has introduced a new career profiling tool designed to help Filipinos align their interests, capabilities, and skills with suitable technical-vocational education and training (TVET) pathways.
Officially launched at the Mall of Asia Music Hall on August 24, the TESDA Skills COMPASS (Career Orientation and Matching for Professional Advancement and Support System) directly supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s mandate to address the country’s ongoing jobs-skills mismatch.
Spearheaded under the leadership of TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez, the initiative aims to empower job seekers while streamlining workforce development to meet current labor market demands.
“The Skills COMPASS measures your skills, interests, and potential, and aligns them with the needs of today’s job market,” Secretary Benitez stated.
“Everybody wins with the Skills COMPASS kasi nagbibigay siya ng direksyon. The job aspirants get career guidance, while the industry gets in a better position to find strong employee matches for their job openings,” added Benitez.
The tool offers a holistic evaluation of an applicant’s potential by moving beyond traditional academic metrics.
It measures key competency areas relevant to training and employment, including career interests, socio-emotional skills, 21st-century skills, trade capabilities, foundational skills, and general employability.
Upon finishing the assessment, learners meet with a TESDA guidance counselor or designated career advocate.
Together, they review the candidate’s profile to identify appropriate TVET qualifications and training programs before the applicant commits to a specific track.
This structured approach allows prospective trainees to leverage their natural strengths, target areas for skill improvement, and choose career trajectories matched to their aspirations.
At a broader economic level, TESDA anticipates that the Skills COMPASS will forge a tighter link between individual aptitudes, vocational training choices, and sustainable employment opportunities.
By modernizing career guidance, the agency continues to make TVET programs more responsive, ensuring that skills training translates directly into improved livelihoods and long-term career growth for Filipino workers.
