By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
THE OVERHAULED K-12 curriculum, expected to roll out for the academic year 2025-2026, must align with industry needs to boost employability of graduates, experts said.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Jose Francisco B. Benitez said they are working closely with the Department of Education (DepEd) on the new K-12 curriculum, aimed at producing employable or employment-ready graduates.
“Part of the initiative in the curriculum development and design is to find ways to make sure that the training regulations needed for specific national certificates of TESDA can be embedded so that the students have the time to do the training and the capacity to be assessed and then provided with their national certificates,” he told reporters in an interview last week.
He noted that the new curriculum will first be implemented for Grade 11 students, which DepEd expects to start in June 2025, with the changes primarily focusing on the core subjects.
Mr. Benitez said TESDA is working to identify specific technical and vocational education and training (TVET) skills that can be integrated into academic track subjects, providing students with more options moving forward.
“That’s going to be a consequence of our micro-credential system that we’re working out now. Hopefully, a few of those will be ready for the school year [starting in] June,” he added.
Federation of Free Workers President Jose Sonny G. Matula noted employers still often prefer college graduates over K-12 graduates due to perceived skill gaps.
“K-12 graduates may lack the specialized knowledge and experience needed for technical roles,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message, noting traditional hiring practices still prioritize higher education degrees as a benchmark for competence.
“There’s a mismatch between the [current] K-12 curriculum and industry needs, with many employers believing the program does not provide enough hands-on or industry-specific training,” he added.
Despite this, the labor leader expected the role of K-12 graduates to grow, especially in vocational and entry-level positions, as industries begin to recognize their potential.
To bridge the gap, Mr. Matula said there must be more government initiatives and industry partnerships through certifications and apprenticeships.
“Sustained curriculum improvements and employer engagement will be crucial for wider acceptance. Over time, as businesses adapt to changing workforce needs, K-12 graduates may gain better opportunities and career pathways,” he added.
Apart from developing a new K-12 curriculum, Mr. Matula urged revisiting teaching methodologies, particularly, the medium of instruction and competencies gained through a healthy balance between theory and practice.
“The country has to bridge the gap from literacy to critical thinking that has suffered in the past decade,” he added.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo M. Angara last week said DepEd is eyeing implementing the revised senior high school curriculum for the academic year 2025-2026, which will begin in June.
The revised curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 reduces the number of core subjects from 15 to 5-7.
Meanwhile, Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) Executive Director Justine B. Raagas said equipping students with in-demand skills and competencies is a critical focus for education stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of bridging classroom learning with real-world applications.
“The main premise here is learning. While it initially happens within the four walls of the classroom, learning can be enhanced through hands-on experiences and more complex, workplace-related activities,” she told reporters in an interview last week in mixed English and Filipino.
“These are the things that must truly be learned in reality — what happens in the workplace that cannot be taught in the classroom,” she added.
Citing a PBEd survey, Ms. Raagas said the share of employers willing to hire non-college graduates was initially only 40%. This rate rose to 60% due to intervention, advocacy and getting employers take in senior high school students and graduates.