University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Leading the country in TVET: Don Bosco Technical Vocational Education and Training Center

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Leading the country in TVET: Don Bosco Technical Vocational Education and Training Center

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Content Running head: DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 1
LEADING THE COUNTRY IN TVET: DON BOSCO TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER
by

Raymundo Reyes

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2018

Copyright 2018 Raymundo Reyes

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my boss- Dr. Chito Salazar, President of Phinma Education, for his
belief in me and for his continuous encouragement to pursue my studies. I would like to thank
the Board of Directors of Phinma Education not only for the sponsorship of my studies but more
importantly for the full encouragement and support.
I would like to acknowledge my committee chair, Dr. Monique Datta, for patiently
guiding and motivating me throughout the whole process of this dissertation. I would also like to
acknowledge my committee members, Dr. Tracy Tambascia and Dr. Ruth Chung, some of the
best professors I have ever known. Of course to Dr. Mark Robison, whose wisdom and
eloquence are beyond compare, and whose constant guidance kept nudging me back on the right
path. I would like to give special thanks to the people behind the Global Executive Doctor of
Education Program- Dr. Sabrina Chong; Christa Womack; and Robyn Lewis, whose tireless
efforts have made this program truly enjoyable and memorable.
I would like to thank the administration of Don Bosco led by Fr. Dindo Vitug- your
assistance, hospitality, and support made data gathering stress-free and made this study possible.
I am forever grateful to my wife Abbey, whose unwavering love and support is my source
of strength. Thank you for making the house a sanctuary for writing, and cooking all the
delicious food to keep me going. We may have missed weekend outings these past two years, but
still managed to steal some Friday date nights together. To my children Jamie, Jasmine, and
John- you are my inspiration for doing this.
Finally, I am deeply grateful to the good Lord above for all the wisdom, blessings, and
abundance bestowed upon my family and me.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents 3
List of Tables 7
List of Figures 9
Abstract 11
Chapter One: Introduction 12
Background of the Problem 12
Importance of a Promising Practice Project 14
Organizational Context and Mission 15
Organizational Performance Status 16
Description of Stakeholder Groups 18
Stakeholder Group for the Study 21
Purpose of the Project and Questions 21
Conceptual and Methodological Framework 22
Organization of the Project 23
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 24
Global Unemployment and Underemployment 24
Unemployment in Asia-Pacific 25
Youth Unemployment Globally 25
Youth Unemployment in Asia-Pacific 26
Unemployment in the Philippines 27
Youth Unemployment in the Philippines 28
Low Educational Attainment of Those in the Labor Force 29
Lower Youth Unemployment in Germany 29
Skills Mismatches and Shortages 30
Causes of Skills Mismatches 30
Evidence of Skills Mismatch 31
Skills Mismatches and Shortages in the Philippines 32
Education’s Role in Reducing Unemployment 33
Earnings Based on Educational Attainment 34
The Role of Technical and V ocational Education and Training 34
Return on Investment in TVET 36
Technical and V ocational Education and Training in the Philippines 37
Governance 37
Modes of Delivery of TVET 38
Enrollment in TVET 38
Employability of TVET Graduates 39
The K-12 Program 40
Quality Assurance 41
The Philippine Qualifications Reference Framework 42
The Role of School-Industry Partnerships in TVET 42
Addressing Skills Gaps and Mismatches 43
Outcomes Orientation 43
Providing Benefits to Stakeholders 44
Workplace Learning 44
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 4
Participation of Industry in the German Dual System 45
Promising Practices in School-Industry Partnerships 45
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences 46
Declarative Factual Knowledge Influences 47
Procedural Knowledge Influences 49
Goals as a Motivational Influence 49
Shared Value as a Motivational Influence 50
Organizational Influences 51
Chapter Three: Methodology 53
Stakeholders of Focus 54
Methodological Framework 54
Assumed Influences 56
Preliminary Scanning Data and Critical Observations 56
Knowledge and Skills 57
Motivation 59
Population 61
Data Collection 62
Interviews and Survey 62
Observations 63
Document Analysis 63
Validation of Influences 64
Trustworthiness of Data 68
Role of Investigator 68
Data Analysis 69
Limitations and Delimitations 70
Chapter Four: Findings and Results 72
Participating Stakeholders 72
Survey 73
Interviews 73
Data Collection and Validity 73
Results and Findings for Knowledge Influences 77
Criteria for Selecting Partners 78
Knowledge of Networks of Businesses and Non-Government Organizations 79
Knowledge of Current and Future Skills Requirements 80
Knowledge of Program Standards of Government and International Governing
Bodies 81
Partnerships and Employability of Graduates 84
On-the-job Training (OJT) or In-plant Training and Employability of
Graduates 85
Relationship Between Integrating Industry Requirements into the Curriculum
and Employability 87
How to Secure and Nurture Partnerships 89
How to Integrate Industry Requirements into the Curriculum 90
Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia (PTRCA) 91
Holcim 92
How to Secure Support from its Partners for Scholarships 93
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 5
How to Collaborate with Industry on the Development of Training Equipment
and Facilities 94
How to Conduct On-the-job Training (OJT) with Industry Partners 95
How to Produce Graduates who Possess Skills that Matches the Needs of Industry 96
Reflecting on Partnerships, Goals, and Plans 97
Summary of Knowledge Findings 98
Results and Findings for Motivational Influences 99
Value of Integrating Industry Requirements into the Curriculum 100
Value of Collaboration with Industry on the Development of Training Equipment 101
Value of Scholarships Provided by Partners 103
Value of On-the-job Training Provided by Partners 104
Value of Ability to Supply Industry Partners with Graduates who Possess the
Relevant Skills 106
Self-Efficacy 108
Mood About Partnerships, Integrating Industry Requirements, and OJT 110
Summary of Motivational Findings 113
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences 113
Clear Training Standards Consistent with National Standards 115
The Administration Aligns its Programs with the Philippines Qualifications Framework
(PQF) 115
Reputation 116
Mission 117
Values, Ethics, and Attitude 118
Network of Alumni 119
Dynamic Leader 120
A Separate, Autonomous Unit Focused on Developing the TVET Programs 121
Fully-engaged Partners 124
Summary of Organizational Findings 125
Conclusion 125
Chapter Five: Recommendations, Implementation Plans, and Evaluation Plans 129
Assets that May be Adapted by Other Technical-Vocational Schools 129
Partnership Development 130
Scholarships 130
Curriculum Development 131
OJT/ Apprenticeships 131
Instructional Support 132
Employment 132
A Partnership Framework 133
Recommendations and Strategies 135
Organize a Unit Focused on the Provision of Technical- Vocational Programs 136
Develop Industry- specific Partnerships 139
Establish Scholarship Programs Funded by Partners and Donors 142
Develop Industry Relevant Curricula and a Mechanism to Respond to
Changing Requirements 144
Support for Training Equipment and Development of Teacher Capacities 146
Enrich the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Experience 149
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 6
Future Research 152
Conclusion 152
References 155
Appendix A: Interview Protocol 166
Appendix B: Survey Instrument 169
Appendix C: Observations 171
Appendix D: Document Analysis 172
Appendix E: Listing of Developed, Emerging, and Developing Countries 173

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 7
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Employability of Don Bosco TVET Graduates for the Sys 2011-12 to 15-16
(Don Bosco TVET Center, 2016) 17
Table 2: Organizational Mission, Goal, Stakeholder Competencies, and Performance Goals 20
Table 3: Selected Employment Statistics in the Philippines (PSA, 2017) 28
Table 4: Highest Educational Achievement of Those Employed in the Philippines (PSA, 2017) 29
Table 5: Assumed Knowledge Influences 64
Table 6: Assumed Motivation Influences 66
Table 7: Assumed Organization Influences 67
Table 8: Findings on Assumed Knowledge Influences 77
Table 9: Comparison of Don Bosco Course Structure and TESDA Training Regulations on
Automotive Servicing NC I 82
Table 10: Comparison of OJT report and Employment Report for Cohort 85 (June 2015) of the
Automobile Mechanic Course 86
Table 11: Summary of Scholarship Monitoring Progress Charts 94
Table 12: Findings on Assumed Motivational Influences 99
Table 13: Employability of Graduates for the SYs 2011-12 to 15-16 (Don Bosco Profile) 107
Table 14: Findings on Organizational Influences 114
Table 15: Knowledge, Motivation, Organizational Assets of Don Bosco Clustered by Areas 124
Table 16: Implementation Plan for Organizing a Unit Focused on TVET 135
Table 17: Evaluation Plan for Organizing a Separate Unit for TVET 136
Table 18: Implementation Plan for Developing Industry-specific Partnerships 138
Table 19: Evaluation Plan for Developing Industry-specific Partnerships 139
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 8
Table 20: Implementation Plan to Establish and Fund Scholarship Programs 141
Table 21: Evaluation Plan to Establish and Fund Scholarship Programs 142
Table 22: Implementation Plan for Developing Industry Relevant Curricula 143
Table 23: Evaluation Plan for Developing Industry Relevant Curricula 144
Table 24: Implementation Plan for Support for Training Equipment and Teacher Capacities 146
Table 25: Evaluation Plan for Support for Training Equipment and Teacher Capacities 147
Table 26: Implementation Plan for Enriching the OJT Experience 148
Table 27: Evaluation Plan for Enriching the OJT Experience 149

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 9
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Gap analysis process 55
Figure 2. Distribution of codes by knowledge (yellow), motivation (blue), and
organizational (green) factors generated from MAXQDA document portrait report 75
Figure 3. Frequency of codes per theme for each transcribed document and for all
documents. 76
Figure 4. Sample of employment report for cohort 79 of automobile mechanic course. 85
Figure 5. Tabulation of survey results among the administration on whether integrating
industry requirements into the curriculum is essential to the employability of graduates. 88
Figure 6. PTRCA program structure. 92
Figure 7. Tabulation of survey results among the administration on how valuable is the
work of integrating industry requirements into the curriculum . 101
Figure 8. Ford automotive training facility 102
Figure 9. PTRCA training facility 102
Figure 10. Mechatronics training facility 103
Figure 11. Refrigeration and air-conditioning training facility 103
Figure 12. Tabulation of survey results among the administration on how valuable is OJT
to the employability of graduates. 106
Figure 13. Tabulation of survey results showing how confident administration is in
establishing partnerships. 108
Figure 14. Tabulation of survey results on how confident administration is about
conducting on-the-job training. 109
Figure 15. Tabulation of survey results on how confident administration is about
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 10
integrating industry requirements into the curriculum. 109
Figure 16. Agreement of the administration with the statement “Our industry partners
have contributed greatly to the employability of our graduates”. 111
Figure 17. Agreement of the administration with the statement “On-the-job training is
essential to the employability of our graduates.” 111
Figure 18. Agreement of the administration with the statement “Integrating industry
requirements into the curriculum is essential to the employability of our graduates”. 112
Figure 19. Extent of agreement by the administration with the statement “Overall, industry
partnerships is indispensable to our technical-vocational training”. 112
Figure 20. The Philippines Qualifications Framework. 116
Figure 21. Organizational Structure of Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati 121
Figure 22. Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati, TVET Center Organizational Chart 123
Figure 23. A School- Industry Partnership Framework 134

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 11
ABSTRACT
Technical and V ocational Education and Training (TVET) has the potential to reduce the
persistent problem of unemployment because it can reach a greater number of the population and
because it provides skills that are needed in the workplace. This case study examined an
exemplary TVET school - Don Bosco Technical and V ocational Education and Training Center,
which has attained a 100% employability rate among its graduates. Don Bosco achieved this
employability rate by establishing partnerships with industry and working closely with its
partners in the training and education of its students. Using the Clark and Estes (2008) gap
analysis conceptual framework, this study specifically investigated the knowledge, motivation,
and organizational assets of the administration of Don Bosco, that has allowed it to forge over
100 partnerships with businesses and industry, and secure about 40 scholarship benefactors. A
qualitative study was employed, with data provided from interviews with 13 members of the
administration, document analysis, a survey among the administration, and observations.
The study revealed that the administration engages with industry on the critical aspects of
the training which include curriculum development, on-the-job training (OJT), physical facilities
and training equipment, and instructional support. Industry needs are integrated into the
curriculum, thereby producing graduates who have the relevant skills. The school has a network
of alumni who provide referrals that open up new partnerships, and whose reputation for doing
good work attracts industry to Don Bosco. The mission of Don Bosco drives the administration,
and the separate and autonomous unit focused on TVET, with a dynamic leader, are additional
assets of the school. Recommendations are presented to schools who wish to expand or establish
their own technical and vocational education and training programs.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 12
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
The problem of practice addressed in this dissertation is the global problem of
unemployment. There were 197.7 million unemployed people around the world in 2016,
producing an unemployment rate of 5.7%. The number of unemployed individuals is expected to
continue to rise to 201.1 million in 2017 and further to 203.8 million in 2018, resulting in
unemployment rates of 5.8% in 2017 and 2018 (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2017).
Unemployment is even worse among youth. For those between the ages of 15 and 24,
unemployment was 71 million in 2016, representing a 13.1% youth unemployment rate, more
than double the total unemployment rate. Youth unemployment is expected to remain at these
levels in 2017 (ILO, 2016). McKinsey conducted a survey in 2012 of youth aged 15 to 29 in
Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the
United States and found that 38% of the youth in these countries were employed, 30% were
unemployed, 18% were looking for jobs, and 13% were employed part-time (Mourshed, Farrell,
& Dominic, 2012). In the Philippines, which is the country of focus of this dissertation, the
unemployment problem mirrors what is happening in the world. Although the total
unemployment rate decreased to 5.5% in 2016 from 8% in 2010, the total youth unemployment
rate remained at a high 13.5% in 2016 (Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA], 2017), which is
more than twice the overall unemployment rate.
Background of the Problem
Unemployment continues to be a problem among adults, but even more so among youth.
Youth unemployment is indicative of the difficulty of transitioning from school to work and the
ability to enter the labor market (Biavaschi et al., 2012). These are, in turn, influenced by several
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 13
factors such as demographic trends, economic growth, labor market flexibility, employment
protection for permanent jobs, education, and training (Biavaschi et al., 2012).
Generally, the higher the education levels, the more job opportunities there are and the
higher the earnings capacity (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
[OECD], 2014, 2015). In OECD countries, 80% of tertiary-educated adults are employed,
compared with 70% of adults with upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education,
and less than 60% of adults without upper secondary education (OECD, 2015). For adults with
vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education, the employment rate is at
77%, higher by 7% than that of those with a general qualification (OECD, 2015). When it comes
to earnings, using adults with upper secondary education as a base, those with lower academic
qualifications earn 20% less, those with a post-secondary non-tertiary education earn 10% more,
and those with a tertiary education earn 60% more (OECD, 2015).
While unemployment remains high worldwide, the irony is that there is also a shortage of
skills. Almost 40% of employers surveyed in a McKinsey’s (2102) study said that lack of skills
was the main reason for entry-level vacancies (Mourshed et al., 2012). In Europe, unemployment
rose from 7% in 2008 to 10.8% in 2013. In 2013, there were around 2 million vacancies
available in European Union countries (OECD, 2016c). The Bureau of Labor and Employment
Statistics (BLES) of the Philippines conducted a survey among employers covering the period
from January 2007 to January 2008. The survey found that, despite unemployment affecting
more than two million Filipinos, employers had difficulty filling vacancies because of a shortage
of applicants with the right competencies and qualifications for the job (BLES, 2008).
Technical and vocational education and training, or TVET, has the potential to address
the twin problems of unemployment and shortage of skills. Firstly, TVET systems are focused on
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 14
providing job-ready skills, making it ideally situated to meet the demands of the labor market.
Secondly, TVET systems have immense potential to address the problem of lack of opportunities
to acquire skills, which has been cited as one of the key reasons for unemployment (Marope,
Chakroun, & Holmes, 2015). Thirdly, TVET is a viable alternative to securing sustainable
employment for those who complete secondary education but are not able to proceed to college
(Syjuco, 2012). Lastly, because of its close interaction with industry, TVET is well-positioned to
address the problems of skills mismatch (Wang, 2012).
Partnerships with employers play a vital role in the provision of skills training (Polesel,
Klatt, Blake, & Starr, 2017). Employers know best the skills needs, work processes, and
technologies of their industries, and their involvement with education providers ensure that
training is up-to-date and relevant (OECD, 2017). Employer’s engagement in the design of the
curricula, provision of workplace learning, assessment of the trainees’ skills, and recognition of
qualifications are essential to training success (Polesel et al., 2017). Effective skills training
systems around the world emerge when employers and education providers step into each other’s
world, and when they work with the students early, treating skills training as one continuum -
from enrollment to employment (Mourshed et al., 2012). This promising practice study in TVET
shows how partnerships between industry and academe produce graduates who are highly
employable and have the relevant skills needed by industry, addressing both unemployment and
the shortage of skills.
Importance of a Promising Practice Project
It is important to examine promising practices in the context of the problem of youth
unemployment for a variety of reasons. UNESCO’s International Center for Technical and
V ocational Education and Training, or UNEVOC, recognizes TVET’s ability to train youth for
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 15
occupation-specific skills resulting in higher employability and better access to jobs (UNESCO-
UNEVOC, 2013). While the problems of unemployment or underemployment continue to exist
in almost all nations, including developed ones, promising practices in TVET provide a clear
pathway to employment. This promising practice study in TVET has shown how partnerships
between industry and academe produce graduates who are highly employable and have the
relevant skills needed by industry, addressing both unemployment and the shortage of skills.
Promising practices in TVET demonstrate effective collaboration between industry and academe,
resulting in skills training that meets the needs of industry, which, in turn, leads to reduced
training costs and greater productivity for the industry.
Promising practices in TVET implement guided on-the-job training (OJT), (also called
apprenticeship, or workplace learning) to complement classroom instruction, allowing the trainee
to learn the specific skills needed in the workplace. The dual apprenticeship system in Austria,
Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, for example, has been shown to help participants transition
into the workplace, resulting in lower youth unemployment in these countries (Biavaschi et al.,
2012). This promising practice demonstrates the key ingredients needed in TVET education that
address the larger problem of unemployment.
Organizational Context and Mission
Don Bosco Technical Institute has 15 branches located in different cities in the
Philippines, but this study focused on the main branch in Makati, the country’s financial center.
Don Bosco is a private Catholic school owned and operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco
(SDB). Don Bosco has a grade school, a high school, and a skills training institute. The skills
training institute, Don Bosco Technical V ocational Education and Training Center (Don Bosco
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 16
TVET Center or the Center), handles the technical-vocational programs and it is this department
that was studied as a promising practice in TVET in this dissertation.
The Center was established in 1971 primarily to help poor and the out-of-school youth in
neighboring communities gain decent employment by providing them with technical skills
training. The mission of Don Bosco is to educate and evangelize young people through a
curriculum with a technological orientation that promotes Gospel values to produce good
Christians and upright citizens. This mission is consistent with Saint John Bosco’s work where
he spent a lifetime providing poor boys a technical education so that they may become
productive members of society. Don Bosco is a non-stock, non-profit corporation, and the Center
was certified as a non-government organization by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification
(PCNC) in 2011.
Don Bosco has trained thousands of poor and out-of-school youth, and its graduates have
gained employment locally and abroad. Since 2006, the Center has accepted an average of 1,000
students annually. The technical training in most cases is provided free to the students and
through scholarships that the school solicits from its industry partners. Much of the success of
the technical training institute today is because of the initiatives of its current head, Fr. Dindo
Vitug. In his early 40s, Fr. Dindo has forged many partnerships with large corporations and has
solicited support for training equipment, buildings, scholarships, and job placements.
Organizational Performance Status
The primary goal of the TVET Center is to help its students gain decent employment by
providing them with a technical education founded on Christian values. Through the years, Don
Bosco has done that. Don Bosco graduated 3268 students in the last 5 years, covering the school
years from 2011 to 2015. Of these graduates, 3290 were employed, for an employment rate of
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 17
101%. An employment rate of 101%, higher than the actual number of graduates, is possible
because some of those who dropped out were also able to gain employment. Table 1 shows that
from cohorts 76 to 84, out of 3855 who enrolled in the programs, 3268 graduated, producing a
graduation rate of 85% (Don Bosco TVET Center, 2016). The employment rate of 101%
contrasts with the employment rate of 77% for those who have a post-secondary vocational
education in OECD countries, or 80% for those who have a tertiary education (OECD, 2015).
Don Bosco’s employment rate also contrasts with the findings of the McKinsey (2012) study,
which showed that, of youth aged 15 to 29 years, only 38% were employed full time. The
employment rate of more than a 100% for Don Bosco shows why it is a high-performing school
in the field of TVET.
Table 1

Employability of Don Bosco TVET Graduates for the Sys 2011-12 to 15-16 (Don Bosco TVET
Center, 2016)

The students of Don Bosco graduate from five programs: automobile mechanic,
automotive service mechatronics, fitter-machinist, electro-mechanical technician, refrigeration
and air-conditioning mechanic, and printing press operator. All graduates go through an
assessment and certification process that is required and regulated by the government. Don
Employability of Don Bosco TVET Graduates for the SYs 2011-12 to 15-16 (Don Bosco Profile)
Cohort Enrolled Graduated Assessed Certified Employed
%
Employed:

%
Assessed:

%Certified:
Assessed
84 424 337 313 313 328 97% 93% 100%
83 532 459 366 366 459 100% 80% 100%
82 380 319 na na 319 100% na na
81 504 431 na na 462 107% na na
80 306 267 na na 267 100% na na
79 580 488 na na 488 100% na na
78 352 291 na na 291 100% na na
77 490 433 na na 433 100% na na
76 287 243 na na 243 100% na na
Total 3855 3268 679 679 3290 101%
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 18
Bosco also tracks whether its graduates took the assessment and whether they earned their
certifications (Table 1). Although started only in cohort 83, data for cohorts 83 and 84 show that,
out of 796 who graduated, 679 were assessed and got their certifications. Thus, 85% of its
graduates took the assessments, and, of those who took the assessments, 100% were certified
(Don Bosco TVET Center, 2016). For these cohorts though, 787 or 98% of its graduates were
employed, meaning that, even without a certification, some graduates were able to gain
employment.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
The stakeholder groups are the administration, the students, the industry partners, and the
faculty. The administration ensures that the Center has the organization and the resources it needs
to implement the different programs and the industry partners who will support the programs.
The administration also ensures the school has qualified faculty who will teach the programs and
prepare students with the competencies they need to be employed whether locally or abroad.
The administration is composed of the technical director as the head of the Center, to
whom the external relations officer, the assistant director, and the spiritual moderator report. The
external relations officer is responsible for placement and scholarships, while the assistant
director is responsible for instruction, student activities, and training facilities. The spiritual
moderator ensures that Christian values are developed among the students and is also responsible
for student guidance (Don Bosco TVET Center, 2016). The technical director himself seeks new
industry partnerships and ensures that the needs of industry partners are provided.
There are currently 112 industry partners, which includes large and reputable companies
in the automotive industry such as Toyota, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Subaru. There are other
firms in other industries such as air-conditioning, electronics, metal fabrication, manufacturing,
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 19
and services. There are also 42 industry scholarship benefactors (Don Bosco TVET Center,
2016). These industry partners and patrons provide varied assistance in the form of on-the-job
training or apprenticeships, equipment and facilities support, scholarships, curriculum design,
and job placement opportunities.
The students are recruited mostly from the out-of-school youth and the underprivileged.
Most of them are able to study because of the scholarships and financial assistance provided by
industry partners, while some can pay for their tuition. Most of the students are male, while five
percent are female. Students come from different regions in the country, although almost three-
fourths are from Metro Manila (43%) and the nearby Southern Tagalog region (30%) (Don
Bosco TVET Center, 2016). Students have to be graduates of at least high school and are chosen
from many applicants from around the country.
There are currently 34 faculty, 12 of whom are undergraduates, 21 have a bachelor's
degree, and one has a master's degree. Because the Center teaches skills, having a master's
degree or higher is not essential. However, what is required is that teachers are certified for the
skills they are teaching. There are 27 teachers with a national certificate (NC) level II (NC II), 25
with a national certificate level III (NC III), and six with a certificate level IV (NC IV) (Don
Bosco TVET Center, 2016). Some of these teachers have two or more of the certification levels.
Six of the faculty are registered assessors for the programs.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 20
Table 2
Organizational Mission, Goal, Stakeholder Competencies, and Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
To educate and evangelize the youth through a curriculum with a technological orientation that
promotes Gospel values, thereby producing good Christians and upright citizens.
Organizational Goal
In 2015-16, Don Bosco Technical V ocational Education and Training Center achieved an
employment rate of 100% among its graduates six months after graduation
Administration
Proficiencies/Competencies
Necessary to Reach the
Organization’s goal

Establishment and
expansion of industry
partnerships for
curriculum and
instructional support,
apprenticeships, and
job placements

Students

Proficiencies/Competencies
Necessary to Reach the
Organization’s goal

All students acquire the
technical skills required in the
curriculum
All students learn Gospel-
based Christian values
Industry

Proficiencies/Competencies
Necessary to Reach the
Organization’s goal

Industry has a basic
understanding of
pedagogy and
instruction
Industry designs
curriculum together
with academe to
produce the skills it
requires of the
graduates
Administration Goals Students Goals

Industry Goals

The administration
establishes and nurtures
100 industry partners who
actively collaborate with
the school in producing
graduates who possess
skills that are relevant to
the needs of industry

100% of the students demonstrate
mastery of all competencies in the
curriculum by the end of their
program

All industry partners
engage in the training of
the students by contributing
equipment and
scholarships, and
participating in curriculum
design.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 21
Stakeholder Group for the Study
Among the stakeholders mentioned, this study focused on the administration because this
stakeholder group is critical to the success of the organization as it fulfills its mission of
providing technical training to out-of-school and underprivileged youth so that they may gain
employment and be productive members of the society. To fulfill this mission, it is crucial that
the administration secures industry partners with industry who are actively engaged with the
school in designing and delivering training programs that produce graduates with the relevant
skills needed by industry. The administration secured partnership agreements with 112 industry
partners, and 42 industry scholarship benefactors, who are critical as the Center continues to
fulfill its mission.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The goal of the project was to investigate what has allowed Don Bosco TVET Center to
address the problem of unemployment adequately. Don Bosco achieved 100% employability of
its graduates over the past five years, an exceptional employability rate that makes it an
exemplary practice in TVET. The question that this study answered was, in a world where
unemployment is a persistent problem, what has Don Bosco done to produce such an exceptional
employability rate? As the partnerships with industry are crucial in delivering relevant training
programs that produce a 100% employability rate, this study specifically looked into the
knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences that allowed the administration to
achieve its goal of securing and establishing partnerships with the industry.
Clark and Estes (2008) contend that there are three top causes of performance gaps, or
performance achievement: the knowledge of the people in the organization, their motivation to
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 22
achieve the goal, and the organizational policies and processes that hinder or facilitate
achievement of the goal. This study specifically investigated two questions:
1. What knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets does the administration have
that allowed it to achieve its stakeholder goal of securing and developing over 100
partnerships with industry, which has been essential to the achievement of the
organization’s overall goal of employability?
2. What knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets may be developed by other
schools seeking to establish or expand its own technical-vocational programs?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
The conceptual framework used for this study was the Gap Analysis framework of Clark
and Estes (2008). The framework analyzed organizational performance by identifying where an
organization is relative to its stated goals. A gap occurs when the organization’s actual
performance is short of its goals, and this gap can be quantified by measuring how far the actual
results are from the desired results. Goals, however, have to be clearly defined as the goals
establish the standards by which an organization’s performance is measured. The goals may be
defined at three levels: 1.) long-term or what may be called as the global goals; 2.) intermediate
goals or subsidiary goals which will lead into the long-term goals; and 3.) the day-to-day or
performance goals (Rueda, 2011). Having established the gaps, causes are assumed and
investigated. Causes fall into one of three broad categories: knowledge, motivation, or
organization (KMO) (Clark & Estes, 2008).
In this study, however, the gap analysis framework was used to evaluate Don Bosco
TVET center from the point of view of a promising practice. Don Bosco achieved its global goal
of employability of its graduates, therefore the gap analysis was used in the reverse. Instead of
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 23
gaps, what was identified are the performance areas where Don Bosco has actually met, or
surpassed its goals. The assumed knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences, or
assets in a promising practice study, that allowed Don Bosco to surpass its goals were identified
and investigated.
Organization of the Project
This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter One introduced the problem of
practice, the organization being investigated as a promising practice, the stakeholder groups, and
the stakeholder of focus. Chapter Two reviews literature on TVET education and partnerships,
investigated the problem of practice of unemployment and skills shortage, and explored how
TVET education helps address this problem of practice. It looked into stakeholder knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences that addressed employability of graduates. Chapter
Three discusses the methodology of validating the assumed knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences, and how the qualitative studies were conducted. Chapter Four
discusses the findings and results from the investigation, supported by the literature. Chapter
Five identifies the key factors that have made the Center effective in dealing with the problem of
practice, and provided recommendations for other schools wanting to establish or expand its
TVET programs.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 24
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
This chapter examines current trends in unemployment and underemployment in the
world, narrowing down to Asia-Pacific and then the Philippines. It also looks at unemployment
among youth as well as the parallel problem of skills shortages and mismatches. It then explores
how education addresses the problem of unemployment, and, in particular, how technical and
vocational education simultaneously helps to solve the problems of unemployment and skills
shortages. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences that are necessary for the administration to be effective in creating
effective partnerships with industry.
Global Unemployment and Underemployment
Unemployment is a persistent problem. In 2016, global unemployment was at 5.7 % with
198 million people unemployed (ILO, 2017). The unemployment rate is expected to rise slightly
in 2017 to 5.8%, and remain at that level in 2018. The unemployment rates translate to a total
number of unemployed people of 201 million in 2017 and 203 million in 2018 in the world (ILO,
2017).
The increase in unemployment is due to the increase in the total labor force outstripping
the growth in jobs (Marope, Chakroun, & Holmes, 2015). The economic crisis of 2008 slowed
the ability of many countries to create new jobs, while, at the same time, the population of 15- to
24-year-olds increased. By 2010, the population of 15- to 24-year-olds worldwide reached over 1
billion, and maintaining the ratio of employment to the working-age population will require 600
million more jobs by 2020 (Marope et al., 2015).
Unemployment is highest in emerging countries (categorized by the ILO as middle-
income countries), with 143 million unemployed in 2016, which is expected to further increase
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 25
to 149 million in 2018 (ILO, 2017). The unemployed in emerging countries comprise 73% of the
world's unemployed. In contrast, there are 38 million unemployed people in developed countries
(countries categorized by the ILO as high-income countries) and 16 million unemployed in
developing countries (countries classified by the ILO as low-income countries), which comprise
19% and 8%, respectively, of the total unemployed (ILO, 2017).
Unemployment in Asia-Pacific
Unemployment in Asia-Pacific is lower than global unemployment. Unemployment in
Asia-Pacific in 2016 was 4.2% and is expected to remain steady in 2017 and increase slightly to
4.3% in 2018. Lower unemployment rates in Asia-Pacific were mainly due to the economic
growth in the region, which was at high of 8% to 9% in previous years but has slowed to 5.1% in
2016 and was estimated to be at 5% in 2017 (ILO, 2017; OECD, 2014).
However, the quality and quantity of employment in the Asia-Pacific region need to be
addressed. While unemployment rates are lower than global unemployment rates, Asia-Pacific
accounts for 84.4 million, or about 40% of the world's unemployed. It also has 960 million
people in vulnerable employment— defined as those own-account workers or contributing
family workers who have limited access to social protection schemes (ILO, 2017). The number
of workers in vulnerable employment comprises 50.1% of those employed. Lastly, Asia-Pacific
comprises 63.5% of the world’s working poor, defined as those living with less than US$3.10 per
day. This percentage is equivalent to 500 million workers living in poverty (ILO, 2017).
Youth Unemployment Globally
The unemployment rate among youth (aged 15 to 24) is more than twice as high as adult
unemployment, and, in some countries, it is four times higher , so efforts to reduce
unemployment must focus on the youth (ILO, 2016; Mourshed et al., 2012; OECD, 2015,
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 26
2016c). Youth unemployment was at 12.9% in 2015 and is expected to hit 13.1% in 2016 and
2017. The youth unemployment rate is more than twice the total unemployment rate of 5.7% in
2016 and 5.8% in 2017 (ILO, 2016). The youth unemployment rates translate to 70.5 million
unemployed youths in 2015 and 71 million in 2016 and 2017.
According to the ILO (2016), the unemployment rate is highest in developed countries in
2015 at 15%, followed by emerging economies at 13.3%, and then developing countries at
9.4 %. However, the number of unemployed youth is greatest among emerging countries, which
accounted for 52.9 million of the world's unemployed youth, or 75%. The number of
unemployed young people in developed countries was 10.2 million, or 14.5% of the world's
unemployed youth and, in developing countries, was 7.4 million, or 10.5%. The total number of
unemployed youth accounts for 35% of the world's unemployed, despite the youth representing
just 15% of the world's labor force (ILO, 2016).
According to the ILO (2016), compounding the problem in developing and emerging
countries is the fact that, of all the youth who were employed, 38.4% lived in poverty on less
than US$ 3.10 per day. The number of young people living in poverty is worse in developing
countries, with 73% of those employed living in poverty. These percentages translate to 160
million youth who are employed yet live in poverty, with 107 million of them in emerging
countries, and 53 million in developing countries (ILO, 2016).
Youth Unemployment in Asia-Pacific
Youth unemployment in Southeast Asia and the Pacific was 12.4% in 2015 and is
expected to rise slightly to 13% in 2016, and 13.6% in 2017. These percentages are equivalent to
7.4 million youth unemployed in 2015, and 8 million in 2017. The number of unemployed youth
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 27
is even higher in Indonesia, where the youth unemployment rate is above 20% (ILO, 2016;
OECD, 2014).
With these levels of youth unemployment, it is crucial that young people are provided
opportunities for education and skills development. According to the ILO (2016), participation in
the labor force among 15- to 19-year-olds is visibly lower than among 20- to 24-year-olds (30%
vs. 61%). This lack of participation is because there is an increase in enrollment in upper
secondary education, which recorded gross enrollment rates of 75%. However, the number of
youth who are neither employed nor in education or training (NEET) has risen, and, in a survey
of 28 countries, was recorded at 25% (Biavaschi et al., 2012; Mourshed et al., 2012). The major
challenge for the youth in the 20 to 29 age range is lack of decent opportunities.
Unemployment in the Philippines
Unemployment in the Philippines was 5.5%, higher than the 4.2% of the Asia-Pacific
region. Selected employment and unemployment statistics in the Philippines as of 2016 are
shown in Table 2. This rate was already a reduction from the 6.6% in 2014 and 6.3% in 2015
(PSA, 2017). The total unemployed was 2.4 million in 2016, out of a total of 43.2 million who
were in the labor force (PSA, 2017).

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 28
Table 3
Selected Employment Statistics in the Philippines (PSA, 2017)

In addition to the unemployed, the PSA includes a category of workers who are
underemployed, which it defines as those who desire to have additional hours of work in their
present jobs or those who desire new jobs with longer hours (PSA, 2017). The number of
underemployed in the Philippines was at 7.5 million in 2016, or 18% of the total workforce
(PSA, 2017). More than half of the underemployed, or 4.1 million, are those the authority defines
as visibly underemployed, or those who are working fewer than 40 hours a week (PSA, 2017).
The visibly underemployed make up 10.1% of the total labor force.
Youth Unemployment in the Philippines
Unemployment among young people in the Philippines was 13.5% in 2016, 2.45 times
more than the total unemployment rate (PSA, 2017). The unemployed youth was 1.145 million
in 2016 out of the total 8.477 million young people who were in the labor force. The youth
accounted for 48% of the total unemployed among the workforce (PSA, 2017).

Table 2
2016
Household population 15 yrs old and over 68125.0
Labor Force 43206.0
Employed 40837.0
Underemployed 7478.0
Visibly 4117.0
Invisibly 3361.0
Unemployed 2367.0
Labor force participation rate 63.4%
Employment rate 94.5%
Underemployment rate 18.3%
Visible underemployment rate 10.1%
Unemployment rate 5.5%
Selected Employment Statistics in the Philippines
(PSA, 2017)
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 29
Low Educational Attainment of Those in the Labor Force
Another problem that the Philippines faces is the low educational attainment of those in
the labor force. As can be seen in Table 4, 70% of those in the workforce have high school or
lower as their highest educational attainment (PSA, 2017). There is an opportunity to re-tool or
upgrade the skills of those in the labor force.
Table 4
Highest Educational Achievement of Those Employed in the Philippines (PSA, 2017)

The challenge for governments and educators around the world is to provide education
and skills training that would open up opportunities in the labor market for the youth. The higher
rates of unemployment among young people highlights the need for education and training
systems to facilitate the initial transition to the workplace.
Lower Youth Unemployment in Germany
Amidst the situation of unemployment across the globe, Germany has enjoyed one of the
lowest youth unemployment rates in Europe. Germany’s youth unemployment rate was 7.5% in
2013, a decline from 11.2% in 2009. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of OECD countries
shows that countries implementing the dual system of vocational education and training have, on
Highest Educational Achievement of those Employed in the Philippines (PSA, 2017)
('000s)
Percentage to
total
No grade completed 573 1.4%
Elementary or some elementary 11029 27.0%
High School or some high school 16993 41.6%
Post Secondary or some post secondary 1999 4.9%
College 10243 25.1%
Undergraduate 3886 9.5%
Graduate and higher 6357 15.6%
Total
40837
100.0%
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 30
average, 4.7% lower unemployment rates among youth than countries implementing the
schooling model of vocational education and training (Hummelsheim & Baur, 2014).
The German dual system is a high-performing model of vocational education and training as
recognized by multilateral institutions such as ILO, World Bank, OECD, and UNESCO
(Hummelsheim & Baur, 2014). There are five key elements to the German dual system that make
it able to address unemployment: (1) the close cooperation between the state and the private
sector, (2) on-the-job learning, (3) societal acceptance of standards, (4) training of vocational
trainers, and (5) institutionalized research and career guidance. Central to the success of the
German dual system of VET is the widespread involvement of enterprises. In 2011, 455,000
companies were involved in training 1.46 million apprentices in 344 training occupations
(Hummelsheim & Baur, 2014).
Skills Mismatches and Shortages
While unemployment rates continue to rise across the globe, there is another dimension
to the problem of unemployment - the mismatch of skills. Paradoxically, while workers complain
of a lack of job opportunities, employers also complain about the shortage of skilled labor
(Mourshed et al., 2012; OECD, 2015).
Causes of Skills Mismatches
Skills mismatches are brought about by technological innovation, globalization,
demographic changes, and migration (Marope et al., 2015):
 Technological innovation cycles are getting shorter, and the rapid changes in technology
make current skills obsolete, while also creating new skill requirements (OECD, 2016d).
 Globalization has opened up the fragmentation of value chains and the relocation of some
tasks within the value chain to other countries. While the first wave of offshoring
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 31
involved transferring low-value low-skilled work such as in garment manufacturing, the
current wave of offshoring includes high-value, high-skilled work such as back-office
operations. Globalization has profoundly changed the nature of skills requirements of
industry (Marope et al., 2015; Wang, 2012).
 Demographic changes are also affecting skills on the supply side. Demographic data
show a greater proportion of the population between the ages 0 to 29 in less developed
countries and a higher proportion of the population aged 30 above in advanced countries.
These demographic differences clearly affect the profile of the skills supply in these
countries (Marope et al., 2015; Tabbron & Yang, 1997).
 Migration patterns show that there is net negative migration flows in regions such as
Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and the Caribbean, while there is net positive migration
flows in North America and Europe. The skills supply changes as migration patterns
evolve (European Center for the Development of V ocational Training [CEDEFOP],
2016a; OECD, 2016d).
Evidence of Skills Mismatch
Skills mismatches are evident in many countries around the world. There were two
million vacancies reported in the European Union countries in 2013, and four out of ten
employers reported having difficulties looking for employees with the right skills (Mourshed et
al., 2012; OECD, 2015).
In the report by OECD, Assessing and Anticipating Changing Skill Needs (OECD, 2016),
the OECD published the following evidence of skills mismatches:
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 32
 Forty-five percent of workers reported experiencing skills mismatch. These workers said
they lack skills in their current jobs, and some workers stated that they have skills to
accomplish more complex tasks.
 Data from the European Labor Force survey showed that across the European Union
countries, 23% of workers experienced qualifications mismatch. That is, they felt that
their education was higher than that required by the job.
 The OECD conducted a survey of adult skills in 2012 and found out that 60% of the
workers were mismatched- either they were in a different field from what they studied, or
their educational qualification did not fit the job, or they had skills that did not match the
requirements of the job.
 In 2013, around 40% of employers in Europe reported finding difficulties in finding
workers with the right skills.
 In a survey of more than 40 European and non-European countries, 36% of employers
said they had difficulty filling vacancies.
Skills Mismatches and Shortages in the Philippines
The Department of Labor and Employment conducted a survey in 2008 of occupational
and skills shortages and found that skill shortages were already evident (BLES, 2008). In the
survey conducted among 667 firms of the top 5000 corporations of the Philippines based in
Metro Manila, 57% said they had job vacancies, and four out five of these firms said the
vacancies were hard to fill. In the service sector, 63% said they had vacancies, and 79% of those
who had vacancies stated that they were hard to fill. Among firms surveyed in the industry, 43%
of the companies said they had vacancies, and 82% of those who had vacancies stated that they
were hard to fill. Among firms in agriculture and fisheries, 58% said they had vacancies, and
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 33
57% of those who had vacancies said they were hard to fill (BLES, 2008). The positions which
were hard to fill were for managers and supervisors (23%), professionals (24%), and technical
and associate professionals. The top reasons cited as to why these positions were hard to fill were
lack of the right competencies (45%) and lack of work experience (21%) (BLES, 2008).
However, there were also positions that were easy to fill, meaning there were more
qualified applicants than vacancies for the posts. Of the firms in the service sector who had
vacancies, 60% said they had positions which were easy to fill while, in the industry sector, 58%
said they had positions which were easy to fill. The positions which were easy to fill were for
skilled workers such as receptionists and information clerks, drivers, debt collectors, cooks, and
administrative secretaries (BLES, 2008).
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in 2013 conducted
a skills demand mapping survey to determine the skills requirements of the industry. It found
that, despite the 2.3 million unemployed in the Philippines, there was a projected need for 1.7
million new jobs during the period 2014 to 2016 (TESDA, 2015). The highest demand for jobs
was in the information technology and business processing sector (727,000 new jobs), followed
by infrastructure and construction (246,000 new jobs), tourism (207,000), and the agri-business
sector (150,000) (Tesda, 2015).
Education’s Role in Reducing Unemployment
Level of education is a significant determinant to the employability of the person. In
OECD countries, those who finished with below upper secondary education only had a 1 in 2
employment rate (56%). Those with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education
had a 74% employment rate, and those with a tertiary education had an 83% employment rate
(CEDEFOP, 2013; OECD, 2015).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 34
Earnings Based on Educational Attainment
The higher the education, the higher the relative earnings. In OECD countries in 2013,
using those with upper secondary qualifications as the base, adults without upper secondary
qualifications earn about 20% less, those with post-secondary non-tertiary education earn about
10% more, and those with a tertiary degree earn about 60% more (OECD, 2015). Comparing the
earnings of workers over a lifetime, the average earnings in OECD countries of a man who has
an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is US$ 138,900, while the costs to
achieve this level of education is US$ 31,100. For a woman who has an upper secondary or post-
secondary non-tertiary education, the OECD average earnings over a lifetime is US$ 92,800 with
a cost of education of US$ 31,100. A man with a tertiary education will have earnings over a
lifetime of US$ 288,600 more than a person who attained an upper secondary or post-secondary
education, while the costs to achieve this level of education is US$ 56,700 more. For a woman,
the equivalent figures are US$ 208,300 and $US 57,200 respectively (OECD, 2015).
In the United States in 2011, the median earnings of full-time workers aged 25 years and
older and with less than a high school diploma was US$ 25,100. These earnings compare with
the earnings of an individual with a high school diploma of US$ 35,400 and those of a person
with some college of US$ 40,400. A person with an associate’s degree earns US$ 44,800, and an
employee with a bachelor's degree earns US$ 56,500 (Baum et al., 2013). Regarding full-time
lifetime earnings, and with earnings of those with a high school diploma as a base, those with
some college earn 1.13 times more, those with an associate’s degree earn 1.27 times, and those
with a bachelor’s degree earn 1.65 times more (Baum et al., 2013).

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 35
The Role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training
Technological and demographic changes highlight the role of TVET in reducing
unemployment (Billett, 2009; Marope et al., 2015). Firstly, vocational education is perfectly
situated to address the problem of skills mismatch because of its close interactions with industry
(Wang, 2012). Secondly, technical and vocational education is ideal in a workplace environment
where technological advances and innovation cycles are getting shorter, and skills needs of the
industry are changing faster (Tabbron & Yang, 1997). Lastly, TVET is well-suited for the
demographic changes that are happening. In developing economies, where there is a growing
youthful population, TVET can provide the training that enables the transition into work. In the
advanced economies, where there is a growing elderly population, TVET can provide the skills
required for re-tooling (Marope et al., 2015).
TVET can play a significant role in providing employment opportunities to those who
can complete lower secondary or upper secondary schooling but are not able to proceed to
tertiary or college studies due to the lack of financial resources. In the Philippines, this accounts
for about 40% of the students coming out of the public high school system, estimated to be a
little over half a million students a year (Syjuco, 2012). These are the students who end up as
unemployed, out-of-school, or underemployed if not provided with opportunities for better
education. In most instances, and as shown by the earnings data in the previous section, tertiary
education offers significant gains and better jobs than those who complete upper secondary or
post-secondary non-tertiary studies. However, where higher education is not an option, TVET is
a viable and practical alternative to securing long-term and sustainable employment.
TVET is recognized for its role in increasing educational attainment levels and providing
better career outcomes for the poor. UNESCO has emphasized the role vocational education and
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 36
training plays in economic development and poverty reduction. It recognizes that TVET can
provide the knowledge and skills needed to avail of opportunities in the labor market, especially
to the most disadvantaged. TVET can bridge the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and
between those who are excluded from the benefits of education and those who are traditionally
able to access education (Lamb, 2011).
The promise of TVET is that is the main alternative to academic study, and it has the
potential to reach a greater number of the population and to access a wider range of groups
(Marope et al., 2015). It can extend education to the disadvantaged and to those who are in the
low-income groups (Marope et al., 2015). TVET has the potential to provide education and
training to all and to contribute to human capital formation for the greater segment of the
population who have historically been excluded from the benefits of better qualifications (Lamb,
2011).
The benefits of TVET may extend not only to those who are unemployed but even more
to those who are employed but have lesser qualifications. In the Philippines, out of the 40 million
who are in the labor force, 11 million have finished elementary or lower, and 17 million finished
high school or some high school (PSA, 2017). The number of employed who finished high
school or lower is 28 million, which is more than half of the 40 million in the labor force. These
workers stand to benefit from better employment opportunities if given a chance to enroll in
TVET.
Return on Investment in TVET
If TVET can provide opportunities to those who are unable to continue with tertiary
studies, the benefit of TVET is that it provides better earnings over someone who finished lower
secondary or upper secondary schooling only (OECD, 2015). Aside from better earnings, TVET
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 37
can also provide a more stable employment and a lower risk of having periods of unemployment
(Lamb, 2011). Other benefits may be improved health and lower incarceration rates (Long &
Shah, 2008). The costs of a TVET education, on the other hand, are the fees that one needs to
pay to complete a TVET program and the foregone opportunities during the period of study, or
the opportunity costs (Long & Shah, 2008).
In a study on private returns to vocational education and training (Long & Shah, 2008),
the authors calculated the internal rate of return of the costs and benefits of a vocational
education. The authors estimated the additional income that a person may earn from a vocational
education during the person's working years, versus the costs necessary to secure that education.
It discounted these income and expenses flows and using the internal rate of return method,
calculated the returns from a vocational education. The authors estimated that the returns could
vary from 15% to 50%, depending on whether the comparison is to a student who has finished
grade 10 or grade 12 only or depending on whether the TVET education provides lower or
higher qualifications (Long & Shah, 2008). However, regardless of the scenario, the calculation
shows that the returns are desirable, and the investment in TVET pays off.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the Philippines
Governance
Technical and vocational education and training centers are supervised and regulated by
the government through the TESDA. The TESDA was established in 1994 through the enactment
of the Technical Education and Skills Development Act. This act sought to mobilize the
resources of labor, industry, government, and technical vocational institutions towards the
development of the skills of the country's human resources. It centralized all programs and
efforts towards skills development previously under the Department of Labor and the
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 38
Department of Education into one unit. The TESDA Act resulted from the recommendations of a
congressional commission formed in 1993 by then President Fidel V . Ramos, which undertook a
review of the state of the country’s education and skills development (TESDA website).
Modes of Delivery of TVET
TVET is provided mainly through any one of three modes of delivery: (1) institution-
based, (2) enterprise-based, and (3) community-based programs. Institution-based programs are
formal programs operated by private and public schools, colleges, institutes and some regional
centers administered by TESDA ( Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2016).
Enterprise-based programs are either apprenticeship, learnership, or dual-training programs
offered by some private companies and enterprises which are registered with the TESDA. Dual-
training programs are done only in partnership with a duly-accredited school. Community-based
programs are informal training programs offered by non-government agencies or local
government units. In 2014, there were 2 million students enrolled in TVET programs, half of
whom were enrolled in institution-based programs, another 46% of who were enrolled in
community-based programs, and 4% were enrolled in enterprise-based programs (Orbeta &
Esguerra, 2016; TESDA, 2014, 2016) .
TVET institutions are classified by type: private and public. In 2013, private schools
comprised the bulk of TVET institutions as these accounted for 4266, or 90% of the total TVET
institutions. Public accounted for only 467, or 10%, of the total number of institutions. The
number of private institutions grew through the years, as these were only 1,876 in 2001. The
number of public institutions, on the other hand, declined from 1,220 in 2001. The increasing
number of private schools reflects a growing interest in the private sector in TVET programs
(TESDA, 2014).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 39
Enrollment in TVET
There were 2.2 million students enrolled in vocational programs in 2016, which increased
from 575,000 in 2001 (TESDA, 2016a). This growth in enrollment is an increase of almost 300%
in 15 years or an average annual growth of 20% over the period. This increase reflects a growing
interest in technical vocational programs in the country. The enrollment in technical vocational
programs is about one-half of the 4.1 million enrolled in tertiary programs in 2015-16. This
enrollment indicates the significance of technical vocational programs in the education and
development of the country’s workforce.
The choice of programs of TVET graduates in 2012 reflected the growing sectors of the
economy. The highest number of graduates enrolled in information and communications
technology courses (27%), followed by tourism and related programs (24%), followed by health
and social services programs (12%) (Orbeta & Esguerra, 2016; TESDA, 2014, 2016b). The rest
of those enrolled were spread out across several other programs in smaller numbers.
V ocational training is seen as a post-secondary course, with about 50% of graduates of
TVET programs in 2012 having completed secondary schooling at the time of enrollment, 19%
completed some tertiary, while 13% completed tertiary (Orbeta & Esguerra, 2016). Various
reasons were provided by the graduates for taking a vocational program, but the most mentioned
were for employment, 45%, to gain skills, 38%, and for skills upgrading, 7% (Orbeta &
Esguerra, 2016; TESDA, 2013)
Employability of TVET Graduates
TESDA conducted an impact evaluation study in 2013 to determine the effectiveness of
vocational programs in the Philippines, specifically regarding the employability of its graduates.
The study was conducted among 2012 graduates of various programs in technical vocational
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 40
institutions nationwide. It utilized a sample size of 16,283 respondents representing 788,439
graduates for a 95% confidence level and a +/- 3% margin of error (TESDA, 2013).
The study found that, out of the graduates of technical vocational programs in 2012,
67.5% were employed. The highest employment rate was among vocational graduates who had a
college degree before the vocational study (81%), followed by those who had a high school
diploma (67%), followed by those who had some college (65%). This employability rate
increased from the previous years: 62% in the 2012 study, 61% in the 2011 study, and 55% in the
2008 study (TESDA, 2013). Of those who were employed, 63% worked in private
establishments, 10% in government, 9.6% in private households, and 7.4% were self-employed
(TESDA, 2013).
These statistics show that TVET programs provide opportunities for employment for
most of its graduates and that the employability rate increased over the years. However, there is
still much to be desired regarding the employability of TVET graduates if it is to have a
meaningful impact on the human resources development of the country.
The K-12 Program
The Philippines launched what is probably one of the most comprehensive reforms to its
basic education system by expanding the basic education cycle from 10 years to 12 years. This
reform was one of the commitments made by the country to the Education for All (EFA)
initiative launched in the international community. This reform mandated the offering of
Kindergarten and added two more years to high school. However, beyond the lengthening of the
cycle, the reform also enhanced and decongested the previous K-10 curriculum to allow learners
to master basic competencies. This reform also brought the Philippines up to par with other
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 41
countries, as it was one of the remaining few countries that still had a K-10 basic education cycle
(Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, 2012).
The addition of the two years in high school, also called the senior high school, allowed
students to choose from one of four tracks: the academic track, the technical and vocational
livelihood track, the arts track, and the sports track. Those who wanted to pursue a degree in
college chose the academic track, and those who wanted to find employment after high school
chose the technical and vocational track. The offering of the technical and vocational track in
senior high school opened up the technical-vocational programs to more enrollees, as the
technical and vocational track allowed students to enroll in the same programs of TESDA. In the
first year of implementation of the senior high school program, around 40% of 1.5 million senior
high school students, or 600,000 students, chose the technical-vocational track (Department of
Education, 2017).
Quality Assurance
Given that 90% of technical vocational training institutions are private, it is necessary
that the TESDA implement quality control mechanisms to ensure that the provision of training is
according to standards. Towards this end, the TESDA requires that all programs offered for the
public are registered with the TESDA and are issued a certificate of program registration (CoPR).
The CoPR is obtained only after a training institution has provided enough evidence that it has
complied with the minimum requirements specified in the training regulations issued by TESDA.
The training regulations define guidelines on instruction, administration, faculty, and facilities
for most of the programs offered. TESDA has issued 241 training regulations, out of which 77%
or 186 are utilized by training providers. There is a total of 18,477 registered programs that
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 42
follow the training regulations, but there are also some 2,313 registered programs not covered by
any training regulations (TESDA, 2014).
As a way of controlling the quality of graduates, the TESDA administers competency
assessments to everyone who graduates from technical-vocational programs and issues national
certifications (NCs) to those who can pass the assessment. Students are not issued a certification
unless they pass the assessments. In 2012, out of the total 788,000 who graduated, 367,000, or
46.5% took the competency assessments. Out of those who took the competency assessments,
92% passed (TESDA, 2014).
The Philippine Qualifications Reference Framework
The Philippine Qualifications Reference Framework (PQRF) was institutionalized
through Executive Order No 83, Series of 2012, signed by then President Benigno Aquino
(TESDA, 2012a). The PQRF was established to adopt national standards and levels for outcomes
of education. Eight levels of outcomes were identified, with each level having specific
descriptors of the knowledge, skills, and values; and the application of those knowledge, skills,
and values. The degree of independence of each level is also defined (TESDA, 2012a). The
PQRF allows for mobility between technical and vocational education and higher education, and
when benchmarked against qualifications frameworks of other countries, allows for international
mobility of workers and professionals across nations. V ocational programs provide Level I to
Level V qualifications, a baccalaureate degree provides Level VI, a post-baccalaureate level VII,
and a doctorate or post-doctorate the highest at level VIII (TESDA, 2012b).
The Role of School-Industry Partnerships in TVET
School-industry partnerships can address the skills gaps and mismatches that are
prevalent around the world. School-industry partnerships ensure that the skills taught in school
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 43
are aligned to the needs of the labor market (UNESCO- UNEVOC, 2015). Industry partners
assist in identifying the skills and competencies that are relevant to the job market, formulating a
curriculum that addresses these skills, and teaching the curriculum in a way that ensures students
learn the skills according to the standards set by both schools and industry (Mourshed et al.,
2012). School-industry partnerships are successful when there is an intensive collaboration
between the parties, and when both sides define their requirements at a very detailed level
(Mourshed et al., 2012).
Addressing Skills Gaps and Mismatches
Partnerships between schools and industry can close the skills gap because they facilitate
the transition from school to work, and connects learning with the workplace more effectively
(Fazio, Fernandez-Coto, & Ripani, 2016; Mourshed et al., 2012). School-industry partnerships
allow TVET to provide general skills, occupation-specific skills, and workplace-specific skills
that are directly linked to the employer's needs leading to productive and sustainable
employment (Biavaschi et al., 2012; Billett, 2009).
Outcomes Orientation
The outcome orientation of TVET necessarily draws in the participation of industry.
Since the outcomes refer to the application of learning to the actual workplace (Gessler &
Moreno, 2015), industry defines the desired outcomes and evaluates whether the outputs of the
training provider are up to industry standards or not. There are four stages in the learning
process: input, process, output, and outcomes. The desired outcomes, the fourth stage of the
learning process feed into the design of the first three stages of the learning process in what is
called the vocational didactics (Gessler & Moreno, 2015). The input refers to the personnel,
material, conceptual and environmental resources. Process applies to the delivery of learning,
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 44
and output refers to the intended learning objectives and the actual learning achievements. The
industry knows the outcomes, and so, therefore, TVET providers need to work in close
collaboration with industry for the relevant outcomes to be identified (Gessler & Moreno, 2015).
Providing Benefits to Stakeholders
Partnerships generate benefits to the students, to teachers, to the schools, and to
businesses (Johanson & Bonto, 2009). Students benefit from partnerships through improved
vocational outcomes and a higher employability. Teachers benefit from learning and training
opportunities that come with increased exposure to businesses. Businesses benefit from better-
trained recruits, professional learning opportunities for employees, and the satisfaction of seeing
students grow. Schools benefit from partnerships through additional income streams, better
training for its students, the potential to increase enrollment, and financial support provided by
industry (Lonsdale et al., 2011; Polesel et.al., 2017).
Workplace Learning
School-industry partnerships are essential in providing authentic workplace learning or
apprenticeships. Workplace learning provides the opportunity to reinforce learning through
repeated practice, which leads to mastery of the tasks (Billett, 2009). Repeated practice is only
available in sufficient quantity in workplaces, allowing the learner to develop automaticity, and
permitting the individual to use their conscious thought in planning for and monitoring their
activities (Mayer, 2011). Workplace learning allows the person to engage in goal-directed work
activities, which reinforces and strengthens learning (Ambrose, 2010). Workplace learning
provides the opportunity for learners to be taught or coached by an expert or by more
experienced workers. The experts can provide guidance and modeling to reinforce learning
(Billett, 2009). Lastly, workplace learning provides the physicality of the workplace itself that
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 45
may not be available in any other setting (Billett, 2009). Workplace learning can only be given if
the industry is involved and opens its workplaces to learners.
Participation of Industry in the German Dual System
The high participation of industry in the German dual system of vocational training has
made it one of the most efficient training systems in the world. The World Bank, OECD, ILO,
and UNESCO, all acknowledge the German dual system as a high-performing model of
vocational training (Hummelsheim & Baur, 2014). Data show that the average rate of youth
unemployment in Germany is 7.5% in 2013, the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe. The
German dual system consists of school-based training for 1-2 days a week and workplace
training for 3-4 days a week. In Germany’s dual-training system in 2011, 455,000 training
enterprises participated in training a total of 1.46 million apprentices in 344 recognized training
occupations, involving 569,000 new training contracts. Enterprises are responsible for funding
the workplace training (Hummelsheim & Baur, 2014).
Promising Practices in School-Industry Partnerships
Indian infrastructure finance company Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services
(IL&FS) is an example of a successful partnership between a TVET provider and industry
(Mourshed et al., 2012). IL&FS was founded in 2007 as a for-profit venture in skills education. It
operates 18 skills schools and 355 skills centers in 24 states, offering programs in 27 trades
including textiles, welding, hospitality, and retail. IL&FS partnered with more than 1000
companies, securing commitments for apprenticeships and job placements for its students.
IL&FS serves the poor and the youth of India and offers students a compelling proposition:
enroll with IL&FS, finish the program, and a job will be waiting for them (Mourshed et al.,
2012).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 46
China V ocational Training Holdings (CVTH) is the largest training institute in China for
automotive programs and is another example of a successful partnership between a school and
industry (Mourshed et al., 2012). CVTH cultivates and maintains relationships with about 1,800
companies, who in turn provides workplace training and promises of employment to the trainees.
CVTH maintains a comprehensive database of its partner employers and updates this on a
monthly basis. Before graduation, CVTH surveys students on their ideal job placement and
matches the students' preferences with the right company. In cases where the skills requirements
are difficult to fill, some employers pre-hire the trainee, pays for the training and locks them in
with guaranteed employment at the end of the training (Mourshed et al., 2012).
Reach is a non-government organization in Vietnam that trains young people, particularly
those from low-income households in information and communications technology and the
service industries (Tam, 2017). Reach has five training centers in five provinces and trains about
1,200 young people every year. Its programs include food and beverage service, beauty spa and
makeup, sales and marketing, web and graphic design, hairdressing and nail art, and
housekeeping. Reach has partnerships with over 1000 companies who assist in identifying the
skills that are in demand, developing the curricula, and employing graduates. Reach’s network
with partner companies and its ability to offer relevant curricula has allowed 80% of its graduates
to be employed six months after graduation (Tam, 2017).
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences
Clark and Estes (2008) state that there are three primary causes of organizational
performance: knowledge, motivation, and organization. The following section discusses what the
literature says about knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on the ability of
TVET schools to secure and develop partnerships with industry.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 47
Declarative Factual Knowledge Influences
Factual knowledge involves knowledge of terminologies, specific details and elements
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The literature identifies factual knowledge areas that enhances
the ability of schools to develop partnerships with industries or businesses. Schools must be able
to know what the skills requirements are of industry so that its programs may be designed to
address the needs of industry. Schools must know the national or regional standards for vocational
programs, as these standards are also driven by, or influenced by, industry. Lastly, school
administrators must know the network connections with industry and businesses that will allow
them to establish partnerships with these businesses.
Skill requirements. School administrators must know the skill needs of the industry to
make its programs more responsive and relevant to the needs of industry. An often raised
criticism from industry about the output of educational and training institutions is that the
graduates of these institutions do not possess the skills that are relevant in today's workplace.
Industry claims that training institutions are supply-oriented and not demand-driven and that the
skills taught in school do not reflect the needs and demands of the labor market (Johanson &
Bonto, 2009; Flynn, Pillay, & Watters, 2016). The OECD conducted a study of the TVET
systems in the South-East Asian region in which it concluded that TVET in the area is supply-
driven, and it shows little responsiveness and flexibility to the demands of the labor market
(OECD, 2016a). To produce skills that are responsive to the needs of the industry, school
administrators need to know updated labor market information on skills supply and demand
(Gambin, Hogarth, Murphy, & Spreadbury, 2016; OECD, 2016b). This information can only be
known on a consistent basis if schools worked closely with industry and businesses, as
employers know best what skills they need (Johanson & Bonto, 2009; Parry & Hayden, 2015).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 48
National and regional standards. TVET school administrators must be cognizant of
standards at the national levels. Driven by the need to make TVET more responsive to the fast-
changing skill requirements of the labor market, national governments around the world are
putting in place quality standards to ensure quality outputs among its TVET providers (Johanson
& Bonto, 2009; Veal, 2009). Because industry knows what its needs are, the formulation of
quality standards is influenced by, or in some cases led by, employers. In the United Kingdom,
for example, the government, through the Department of Education and the Department for
Business, Innovation & Skills, together with industry, developed apprenticeship standards that
aimed to make apprenticeship programs more responsive to labor market needs (National Audit
Office, 2016). In Australia, the industry is at the center of efforts to formulate standards in
vocational education and training, aligning learning, assessment, and workplace training systems
with occupational standards (Australian Chamber, 2016).
National standards and certification systems are also being implemented to increase the
quality and attractiveness of vocational qualifications (Ratnata, 2013). At the regional level,
countries are coming together to form a qualifications register or framework that would allow for
mutual recognition of diplomas and certificates (Paryono, 2013; Veal, 2009). Europe, for
example, has a European Assurance Reference Framework for V ocational Education and
Training (EQA VET) (Gatt & Faurschou, 2016), while countries in the Pacific have developed a
Pacific Qualifications Register (Valmonte & Park, 2009). These regional qualifications
frameworks allow for mutual recognition of diplomas and provide for mobility of workers
between the countries in the region.
Networks. School administrators must have knowledge of networks and connections
among businesses and industries, as these play a significant role in the formation of partnerships
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 49
between TVET providers and industry. When partnerships are formed at an institution level and
not at a systemic level, opportunities for partnerships are identified at an individual level
between the leaders of the school and the enterprises that comprise the partnership (Abdullah,
2013). However, mutual trust must exist between the partners for the partnership to grow and
nourish. In successful partnerships between schools and industry, the strengths of the
partnerships draw from the work relationships formed between the industry leaders and the
faculty and school administrators (Abdullah, 2013).
Procedural Knowledge Influences
Flynn, Pillay, and Watters (2015) identified procedures that school officials and industry
must know in forming partnerships. Schools and industries operate within their domains, with
their own sets of objectives, culture, and policies. Going into a partnership means that each party
crosses into the unfamiliar domain of the other, a process Flynn et al. calls boundary crossing.
There are four mechanisms by which each can cross the other’s boundary: (1) identification of
partner contribution- this involves the school and industry understanding each other and what
they each contribute to the partnership; (2) coordination among partners- a process by which the
partners agree to interact with each other on a regular basis to facilitate boundary crossing; (3)
reflection on partnership- the process of thinking about the partnership, the differences between
each other's practices, and an appreciation and understanding of the other's practices; and (4)
transformation among partners- this happens as each party successfully navigates the world of
the other, resulting in an effective partnership.
Goals as a Motivational Influence
According to Locke and Latham (2002), goals direct effort, strengthens persistence, and
leads to the discovery and use of task-relevant knowledge and strategies. Schools and industry
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 50
have a stronger commitment to the partnership when the vision for the partnership is articulated,
when the objectives and purposes of the partnership are understood, and when there are exit
strategies formulated for both the short and the long term (Flynn et al., 2016). The partners are
more engaged when the goals for the partnership are defined, and when the goals are
communicated within the school and the larger community (Abdullah, 2013; Polesel et al.,
2017). Additionally, goals that include productivity and employability tend to give partnerships a
long-term outlook (Polesel et al., 2017).
Shared Value as a Motivational Influence
Shared value can drive and sustain partnerships between schools and industry. Porter
(2011) defines shared value as creating economic value in a way that also creates social value by
addressing basic societal needs. One way in which shared value is created is by enabling local
cluster development, where a cluster is a "group of firms, related businesses, suppliers, and
logistical infrastructure in a particular field" (Porter, 2011, p. 12). School– industry partnerships
involve the entire cluster of students, schools, faculty, school administrators, and industry.
Partnerships address the basic societal need for education of the students, but at the same time
create economic value for schools by way of tuition and fees, and economic value for the
industry by way of a better-trained workforce and higher productivity. By working together to
provide education, both industry and schools create value for their organizations, and which in
turn fuels the motivation to sustain partnerships. Education is no longer the responsibility of the
schools alone, as employment is no longer the responsibility of industry alone. As a Siemens
executive stated: “People ask us why we invest so much to develop the skills of our people.” “I
ask them instead, ‘How much is it going to cost you to not have skilled workers?’” (Mourshed et
al., 2012, p. 65).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 51
Organizational Influences
Organizational Influences include work processes, material resources, value chains, and
organizational culture (Clark & Estes, 2008). Industry- school partnerships in technical and
vocational education and training are also influenced by government and national organization
policies, where sometimes the partnerships are initiated and formed (Hummelsheim & Baur,
2014) . Governments may also issue policies to incentivize school- industry partnerships, thereby
encouraging and facilitating the formation of partnerships (Johanson & Bonto, 2009).
Government-led or sector-led partnerships. In some countries, partnerships between
the schools and industries are affected by efforts or policies made by the government and by
national organizations in the sector. The following examples show how school-industry
partnerships are influenced by national policies:
 In Germany, 455,000 enterprises were involved in training 1.46 million apprentices under the
dual-training system. This is primarily because the system is guided by legislation enacted
under federal laws and school laws under the 16 Länder (Hummelsheim & Baur, 2014).
 New South Wales has a highly coordinated and centralized approach to industry partnerships.
It utilizes an extensive network of work placement service providers who act as brokers who
look for industry partners for the schools (Polesel et al., 2017).
 In Queensland, the government pushed for the formation of industry-school partnerships
through the Gateway to Industry Schools Program. With Queensland's Department of
Education and Training coordinating the effort, the program sought to link schools with
global industry partners and pushed for industry participation in the formulation of the
curriculum (Flynn et al., 2016).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 52
Incentives/Subsidies. Some governments may also incentivize school-industry
partnerships through subsidies, grants, tax breaks, or tax penalties. In Singapore, for example, the
Skills Development Fund encourages employers to raise the qualifications of their workers by
assessing a 1% levy on workers earning less than S$2,000 a month. Other incentives are training
vouchers for employees of small and medium scale enterprises, a training leave scheme for older
workers, and on-the-job training consultancies (Johanson & Bonto, 2009).

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 53
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Don Bosco Technical V ocational Education and Training Center (Don Bosco TVET
Center or the Center) has an average employment rate of 100% among its graduates over the past
five years. In the context of the broader problem of practice of unemployment, this may be
considered an exemplary performance. What is more impressive about the Center's employability
record is that its students come from low-income families who did not have the opportunity to
study beyond high school if not for the scholarship offered by the Center.
The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, motivational, and
organizational influences that enabled Don Bosco TVET Center to achieve a 100% employability
rate among its graduates and adequately address the problem of unemployment. Because the
Center has already achieved the highest possible goal of employability, this study determined
what assets the Center acquired that allowed it to address unemployment effectively.
This study specifically investigated the ability of the stakeholder group of focus, the
administration at TVET, to forge and cultivate partnerships with over 100 industry partners and
about 40 scholarship benefactors. These partnerships significantly contributed to the Center’s
ability to achieve a 100% employability rate among its graduates.
Using the framework of Clark and Estes (2008) in analyzing organizations, as adopted by
Rueda (2011) for educational institutions, this study sought to answer the following two
questions:
1. What knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets does the administration have
that allowed it to achieve its stakeholder goal of securing and developing over 100
partnerships with industry, which has been essential to the achievement of the
organization’s overall goal of employability?
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 54
2. What knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets may be developed by other
schools seeking to establish or expand its own technical-vocational programs?
Stakeholders of Focus
The stakeholder of focus for this study were the administrators because of their ability to
forge and cultivate partnerships with industry and non-government organizations. While the
faculty, industry partners, and the students may all have contributed to the global goal of
employability, the focus of this study was the intermediate goal of expanding partnerships, which
is shaped and influenced by the administration.
The ability of the Center to establish partnerships with industry is central to its ability to
achieve its goal of employability. The partnerships bring in scholarships and workplace training
opportunities for the students, assistance in the development of curriculum, support for the build-
up of training facilities, and graduates who possess the skills that match the needs of industry. It
is the administration who moves and shapes the partnerships of the Center. Therefore, the
stakeholder of focus is the administration with the stakeholder goal of forging and developing
partnerships.
Methodological Framework
This study utilized the gap analysis framework of Clark and Estes (2008) used in
organization analysis, depicted in Figure 1. Organizations should have defined goals, which
serve as the yardstick for measuring current performance. The actual performance is evaluated
relative to the goals, and any performance that is short of the goal represents a gap. According to
Clark and Estes, all possible causes for the gaps may be grouped into three broad categories
which are knowledge, motivation, and organization. The possible causes are initially assumed,
and later investigated and validated. Underlying causes are acted upon, and solutions are
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 55
identified and implemented. Solutions are evaluated according to how well it can close the gap
between the goal and the actual performance.
Don Bosco TVET Center surpassed its global goal of employability, as it achieved an
employment rate of 100% among its graduates over the past five years. Using the Clark and
Estes (2008) framework of organizational analysis, this study analyzed the Center as a promising
practice, identifying the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences that allowed
Don Bosco to address the problem of unemployment adequately and successfully reach 100%
employability rate among its graduates. For the stakeholder of focus, the administration, this
research determined what knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets the administration
has that enabled it to establish partnerships with over 100 businesses or industries, and over 40
scholarship benefactors. These partnerships are essential to the Center's ability to have a 100%
employment rate among its graduates.

Figure 1. Gap analysis process

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 56
Assumed Influences
The previous section discussed the gap analysis process to identify performance related
issues, or assets, in the case of high-performing organizations. The key steps in the gap analysis
framework are: 1.) identify the assumed causes for the performance; 2.) investigate these
assumed causes to determine the root, or real, causes; and finally, 3.) validate the assumed
causes. However, what often happens in organizations is that decisions and actions are made
based on assumed causes, without investigating and validating those assumed causes. People
sometimes jump to conclusions and implement solutions based on haphazardly identified causes
(Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). These ill-conceived solutions become very costly in the
long term because, aside from spending for the implementation of those solutions, the
performance problems are not addressed, and the health of the organization continues to suffer
(Clark & Estes, 2008). A good rule to follow, according to Clark and Estes (2008), is the 25-75
rule: spend 25% of the time to analyze a problem, and the rest of the 75% to design and
implementation.
A thorough investigation of a performance problem should include three components:
scanning interviews with stakeholders; learning, motivation, and organizational theories; and a
review of the literature on the particular performance problem. This chapter discusses the
assumed causes of the Center's performance from initial interviews conducted with the
stakeholders; from literature reviews covered in Chapter Two; and from learning, motivation,
and organizational theories.
Preliminary Scanning Data and Critical Observations
An initial benchmarking visit to Don Bosco conducted sometime in August 2016 by the
researcher and some members of the management team of Phinma Education revealed the
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 57
reasons why Don Bosco has a reputation in the Philippines as having the best TVET programs.
In the orientation provided to the researcher’s group by the director of the Center, he revealed
that the Center established over 100 partnerships with businesses, industries, and non-
government organizations. These partner organizations provided not only scholarships for the
students, but also workplace training opportunities, which are a six-month training program
conducted in the workplace of the industry partner.
The Center also worked with industry partners in the development of the curriculum so
that the skills training given to the students align with the needs of the industry partners. In the
researcher’s tour of the school, collaboration between industry and the school was evident. The
automotive training facility, for example, was set up like a modern automotive service center
with the visible participation of companies like Honda, Toyota, and Porsche.
These critical observations, as well as documents provided by Don Bosco on the
employability of its graduates, coupled with reviews of the literature, and learning, motivation,
and organizational theories, have led to the following assumed causes of Don Bosco's success in
the field of TVET. The assumed causes are categorized into the three main causes of
organizational performance: knowledge, motivation, and organization.
Knowledge and Skills
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) provide four broad types of knowledge, and these are
factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. Factual knowledge involves the
knowledge of essential elements of a discipline or the specifics of a subject matter and
knowledge of terminologies. Conceptual knowledge is the knowledge of theories, models, and
structures. Procedural knowledge is the knowledge of procedures, of how to do something.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 58
Metacognitive knowledge is the awareness of one’s own thinking or cognition (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001). These are discussed in further detail in the following paragraphs.
Factual knowledge. Factual knowledge is the knowledge of terminology and the
knowledge of specific details and elements (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001; Mayer, 2011). The
administration’s factual knowledge that has allowed it to develop partnerships starts from its
knowledge of businesses, industries, and non-government organizations as its networking base.
The administration of Don Bosco has established contacts within these organizations. It has a set
of criteria for selecting partners. It understands the current and future skills requirements of
industry partners, which serve as inputs in the development of the curricula. It also knows the
program standards of the government on TVET.
Conceptual knowledge. Conceptual knowledge is the knowledge of theories, models,
and structures along with classifications and categories. It is the understanding of the inter-
relationships of essential elements and how they fit in together into a larger structure (Anderson
& Krathwohl, 2001; Mayer, 2011). The administration's conceptual knowledge is its
understanding of the relationship between partnerships and employability, between joint
curriculum development with industry, and the provision of industry-relevant skills to its
students, between workplace training and transition into the workplace.
Procedural knowledge. Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) defined procedural knowledge
as the knowledge of how to do something, of when to apply the correct procedures. The
administration’s procedural knowledge influences are that it knows how to establish and nurture
partnerships, how to solicit support for scholarships and supervised workplace training, and how
to collaborate with partners for the build-up of training equipment and building facilities. The
administration at Don Bosco knows how to identify the skills requirements of industry, and how
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 59
to integrate these into its curricula. It knows how to educate and mold its students so that
graduates will have the appropriate skills required by industry.
Metacognitive knowledge. Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) defined metacognitive
knowledge as the knowledge of cognition, or the awareness of one's cognition. It is the strategic
knowledge of being able to reflect on one's own goals and the strategies needed to get there
(Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The administration knows how to monitor its relationships with
partners, to reflect on these partnerships, and to establish goals and formulate plans to strengthen
these partnerships.
Motivation
Motivation is influenced by the value that people see in the task (value), by their beliefs
about their ability to accomplish the task (self-efficacy), and by how they feel about the task
(mood). Motivational influences of the administration are thus categorized into value, self-
efficacy, and mood (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, 2010; Clark & Estes, 2008;
Pintrich, 2003).
Value. The value of a task may be in its interest value, the skill value, or the utility value.
The interest value comes from the interest one has in the task, the skill value flows from the
challenge to one's unique skill that a job brings, and utility value results from the benefits that
come with the achievement of a task (Clark & Estes, 2008). The administration at Don Bosco
values its partnerships, the support provided by partners for scholarships and supervised
workplace training. Moreover, the administration of Don Bosco values the support given by
partners for the build-up of training equipment and facilities, the input given by its partners in the
design of the curricula, and the hiring by its partners of its graduates for work. The partners also
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 60
value the skills of the Center's graduates because of the higher productivity that they contribute
to the workplace.
Self- Efficacy. The administration believes it can secure and nurture partnerships. The
administration believes it can maximize these partnerships through scholarships and supervised
workplace training; it is capable of jointly developing the curriculum and training facilities with
its industry partners; and that it is capable of securing job placements for its graduates.
Mood. The administration at Don Bosco feels positive about its partnerships. The
administration feels positive about the inputs provided by industry to curriculum development,
along with the assistance provided by industry partners for training facilities development.
Furthermore, the administration at Don Bosco feels positive about the scholarships and job
opportunities industry gives the students.
Organization. Performance gaps that are attributable to the organization are those that
are due to the availability or lack of material resources, effective or ineffective work processes
and policies, and strong or weak value streams or value chains. Organizational culture, which
develops over time, may also help or hinder performance (Clark & Estes, 2008). Organizational
culture is developed when a group has a shared history. Organizational culture provides
structural stability, a group identity that will not be given up easily. Organizational culture also
provides depth, a sense of deeply embedded beliefs and relationships, and breadth, an influence
across all of a group's functions (Schein, 2004).
The administration at Don Bosco works within the standards set by the TESDA, which
issues the national certifications from level I to IV, for various technical vocational programs.
These standards may help or hinder the organization, depending on the application and the
setting. The administration also works within the structure of the PQRF, which defines the type
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 61
of competencies for different certifications levels. This approach allows for mobility across
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and movement across education
categories.
The administration also works within the Don Bosco philosophy of Salesianity and
service to the poor, which guides all Don Bosco schools worldwide. Saint John Bosco started
Don Bosco schools when, as a young man, he started helping the poor, out-of-school, young
boys get gainful employment by giving them a technical education. This philosophy shapes the
character of the TVET Center.
Population
The administration of Don Bosco’s TVET Center was the population for this study. The
administration is composed of the technical director, assistant technical director, external
relations officer, spiritual moderator, student activities coordinator, and shop heads for the
automotive (day shift), automotive (night shift), PTRCA, refrigeration and air conditioning, fitter
machinist, and industrial automation programs. The technical director is the head of the Center.
The assistant technical director is responsible for instruction, student activities, and training
facilitates. The external relations officer is responsible for placement and scholarships. The shop
heads are responsible for running the day-to-day operations of their respective programs.
Additionally, the OJT assistant, the scholarship assistant, and the assessment center manager
provide staff and technical support for each of their areas. There are 14 people in the
administration.
The administration was selected as the population for this study because it is the group
that possesses the factual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge related to the creation and
nurturing of partnerships. It is the administration that established the goal of building
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 62
partnerships, invests mental effort in pursuing the partnerships, and persists in creating and
nurturing those partnerships. The administration is, therefore, the appropriate population for this
study, and since they are only a few, the entire team will be the sample for this study.
Data Collection
The approval of the University of Southern California's Institutional Review Board was
obtained for this research. This research was qualitative, and data was collected through
individual interviews with members of the population under study; observations of training
facilities, class sessions, workplace training sessions; and analysis of documents. Triangulation
of the data sources was used to increase the validity and trustworthiness of the data.
Interviews and Survey
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the 13 members of the administration, as
one was unavailable due to an illness. Individual interviews were conducted in one of the rooms
in the TVET Center. A room was chosen where there is privacy, with as little distraction as
possible. The plan was for interviews to be conducted over two or three sessions per person, to
allow for follow-up questions as the data are analyzed. However, the analysis necessitated only
one follow-up interview to be conducted with the Technical Director. The interviews were
conducted in both English and Filipino, as Filipinos are more comfortable talking in both
languages.
The interview guide was formulated from the questions generated from each of the
influences. However, questions were selected for each member of the administration, as there
were questions not relevant to the position handled by one person (i.e. the scholarship assistant
may not know anything about the questions on integrating industry skills into the curriculum).
The interview protocol is shown in Annex A. A survey was also conducted among the members
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 63
of the administration so that questions that were common to all were asked through the survey.
The survey instrument is shown as Annex B.
Observations
Observations were conducted to identify essential details about the partnerships that Don
Bosco has established, details that may not otherwise be evident from the interviews and
documents. However, it was essential during the observations to filter out the trivia from the
relevant information. Observations were also done to triangulate the data, and to provide context
to the assumed influences (Merriam, 2009).
For this study, the plan was for observations to be conducted in class and laboratory
sessions to see how the required skills by industry are taught and learned by the students. The
training equipment and facilities were also inspected to determine how these contribute to
learning the required industry skills. The observation focused on how the relevant industry skills
are taught to the students.
In the observations, the researcher was a participant, where the researcher's activities
were known to the group, but the researcher's participant role was limited as an observer
(Merriam, 2009). Observations were mostly recorded using field notes and photographs. The list
of activities and sites that were observed are shown in Annex C.
Document Analysis
The documents analyzed were contracts, reports, publications, news reports, video
recordings, government policies and standards, written testimonials, public records, and awards.
Memoranda of agreements or understanding between the school and partners, scholarship
agreements, and supervised workplace training agreements. The process of gathering data from
documents were to identify and find relevant materials, determine authenticity and accuracy of
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 64
the documents, and code and catalog the data (Merriam, 2009). The documents that were
analyzed are shown in Annex D.
Validation of Influences
The Don Bosco TVET Center is a high-performing school in the field of technical and
vocational education and training because it can produce graduates with a 100% employability
rate. This study investigated what assets Don Bosco TVET Center acquired to allow it to achieve
such employability rate for its graduates. Specifically, it examined the assumed knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences the administration of Don Bosco has that allowed it to
establish partnerships with industry and non-government associations. These assumed influences
were validated through interviews with the administration, observations, and document analysis.
The assumed influences and the ways by which these were validated are shown in the following
tables.
Table 5
Assumed Knowledge Influences

Interview Survey
Document
Analysis
Observation
Declarative Factual
The administration knows the criteria for
selecting partners
X

X

The administration knows its networks of
businesses and non-government
organizations
X

X

The administration knows the current and
future skills requirements of industry
X

X

The administration knows the program
standards of government and international
governing bodies
X X

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 65
Table5, continued

Interview Survey
Document
Analysis
Observation
Declarative Conceptual
The administration understands the
relationship between partnerships and
employability of its graduates
X X
The administration understands the
relationship between OJT and employability
of its graduates
X X X

The administrations knows the relationship
between integrating industry requirements
into the curriculum and employability of its
graduates
X X X
Procedural
The administration knows how to secure and
nurture partnerships with industry and non-
government organizations
X X X
The administration knows how to integrate
the skills required by industry partners into
its curriculum
X

X X
The administration knows how to collaborate
with industry in the development of training
equipment and facilities

X X
The administration knows how to conduct
OJT with industry partners
X

X X
The administration knows how to
produce graduates who possess skills that
matches the needs of its industry partners
X X

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 66
Table 5, continued

Interview Survey
Document
Analysis
Observation
Metacognitive
The administration knows how to formulate
goals about its partnerships and develop
strategies to achieve those partnerships
X X
The administration knows how to monitor its
relationships with its partners
X

X

The administration knows how to reflect on
its relationships with partners and identify
areas for improvement
X X X

Table 6
Assumed Motivation Influences

Interview Survey
Document
Analysis
Observation
Value
The administration values the integration of industry
requirements into its curriculum
X X X X
The administration values collaboration with industry
on the development of training equipment and
facilities

X

X
The administration values scholarships provided by
its partners

The administration values OJT provided by its
industry partners
X X X

The administration values its ability to supply
industry partners with human resources who possess
the relevant skills
X

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 67
Table 6, continued

Interview Survey
Document
Analysis
Observation
Self-Efficacy
The administration is confident in its ability to build
its partnerships
X X X
The administration is confident in its ability to
integrate industry requirements into its curriculum
X X

The administration is confident in its ability to
secure support from partners for scholarships and
OJT
X X

The administration is confident in its ability to
produce graduates who have the skills needed by
industry
X
Mood
The administration feels positive about its
partnerships with industry and non-government
organizations
X X X
The administration feels positive about the
integration of industry requirements into its
curriculum
X X

X
The administration feels positive about getting
support from industry for scholarships and OJT
X X

X

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 68
Table 7
Assumed Organization Influences

Interview Survey
Document
Analysis
Observation
Organization

The administration has clear training standards which
are consistent with national and international
standards

X

The administration aligns its programs with the
Philippine Qualifications Reference Framework to
allow mobility across educational systems and
between ASEAN countries
X X X
Culture
The administration has established a reputation for
producing graduates who possess the appropriate
skills required by industry
X X X
The administration decisions are influenced by Don
Bosco’s Salesian mission of helping the underserved
youth gain employment through technical education
X

X X
The administration instills work ethic among its
students
X X

Trustworthiness of Data
Merriam (2009) suggests several strategies to ensure the trustworthiness of the data as
measured by the data's validity and reliability. Validity can be further broken down into internal
validity, whether the findings are credible, and external validity, whether the findings are
transferable to another application. Reliability answers whether the study will yield the same
results if repeated. Some of the strategies Merriam suggests to ensure validity and reliability are
triangulation, member checks, adequate engagement in data collection, rich and thick audit trail,
and maximum variation (Merriam, 2009).
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 69
Interviews were the primary source of data, but observations and document analysis were
done to triangulate the data and validate the findings from the interviews. As the data for the
interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed, some of the findings were re-confirmed with
the interviewees to check whether the information accurately described the situation. Adequate
engagement in data collection was ensured by conducting the interviews over a period of six
months so that interviews could be analyzed as they were completed. Follow-up questions were
raised with the technical director as the data were analyzed. A qualitative data analysis software
was used which could provide an audit trail and allow a review of the coded segments, if
necessary.
Role of Investigator
The researcher’s relationship with the Don Bosco TVET Center and its administration is
as a distant third-party observer. The researcher does not occupy any position in the organization
and does not have any influence over the organization. Phinma Education, in which the
researcher is involved as the chief operations officer, and Don Bosco are two separate and
distinct educational institutions in the country.
The first time the researcher met Fr. Dindo Vitug, the Director of the Don Bosco TVET
Center, was when the researcher and some members of the management team at Phinma
Education visited his school for benchmarking. The researcher and the team wanted to find out
what Don Bosco was doing in its TVET Center as it already had acquired a reputation for
running the best TVET programs in the Philippines. Phinma Education is interested in building
up its TVET programs. A simple email to Fr. Dindo Vitug set up the visit to his school. Fr Dindo
gladly received the management team of Phinma, gave them an orientation about his school, and
showed them around.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 70
The second time the researcher met Fr. Dindo Vitug was when the researcher proposed
studying his organization as a promising practice study within TVET. He agreed to the proposal,
and he agreed to grant access to his organization, his management team, students, teachers, and
records so that the researcher could complete this research.
The researcher’s role as an investigator is an independent, objective, third-party
investigator whose main purpose is to understand what Don Bosco has done to achieve its status
as a leading TVET provider. It is hoped that this research will contribute to the body of
knowledge about TVET, informing other TVET providers on how they can improve their TVET
operations.
Data Analysis
Since this is a qualitative research, the data was obtained mainly through interviews. This
is a case study because it is an intensive description and analysis of a single, bounded unit
(Merriam, 2009). A transcription service was used to transcribe all the audio recordings
generated from the interviews. The transcripts, together with field notes from observations, notes
from document analysis, documents, and reports were organized into a database for easy
retrieval. The case study database was coded and analyzed to develop emerging categories and
themes. A qualitative data analysis software- MAXQDA, was used to code the transcripts and
manage the codes.
Limitations and Delimitations
This study has some inherent limitations that result from the way the investigation was
structured, the research question, and the methodology. While the broader question of this study
is what assets Don Bosco has that allows it to have 100% employability rate among its graduates,
this study focused on the administration as the stakeholder group of focus and its goal of forging
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 71
and nurturing partnerships. However, the administration of the Don Bosco TVET Center is a
small group of 14 members. Even as this study interviewed all except one, the sample size was
only 13 people. In addition to this, not all members of the administration were involved with
forming the partnerships.
There was also the aspect of the interview being conducted in both English and Filipino,
as some of the interviewees were comfortable doing so. While this poses no problem to the
researcher, the original meaning and intent of what was said in Filipino might be diluted in the
written translation to English. There were also some limitations regarding access to some
documents and sites that needed to be observed. While the administration gave consent to
provide full access to the researcher to documents and sites, some industry partners were not
willing to grant access where the partner is involved.
The delimitation of this study arises from the design of the study. This study is focused on
the administration as the stakeholder group of focus. While other stakeholders such as the
teachers, the students, and the industry partners may contribute to the ability of the Center to
produce graduates with 100% employability rate, this study focused on the administration. Based
on previous observations and discussions with the technical director, it seems that it is the
administration that has the most influence on the employability of its graduates, hence the choice
of the stakeholder group of focus. While other stakeholders may very well have an influence on
these outcomes, the researcher needed to limit the focus of the study to make it more manageable
within the period allotted, and within the gap analysis framework that was used.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 72
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND RESULTS
This chapter presents the findings and results from the interviews, surveys, document
analysis, and observations that were conducted to investigate the assumed knowledge,
motivational, and organizational factors that have enabled Don Bosco to achieve its goal of
securing and developing over 100 partnerships. These partnerships were with various industries
such as the automotive, shipping, air-conditioning, and manufacturing industries. The
partnerships of Don Bosco have been essential to its overall goal of 100% employability for its
graduates. The findings on the knowledge influences are first presented, categorized according to
the four knowledge types- factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001). The findings about the motivational influences are presented next, grouped
according to the three factors that affect motivation: value, self-efficacy, and mood. Finally, the
results of the organizational influences investigated are shown, and then a summary of all the
validated assets are reviewed.
Participating Stakeholders
The participating stakeholders for the study were the members of the administration of
the Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Center. The 13 stakeholders who comprise the administration include the Technical Director,
Assistant Technical Director, External Relations Officer, OJT Assistant, Scholarship Assistant,
Assessment Center Manager, Student Activities Coordinator, and the Shop Heads for each of the
programs- Automotive (day shift), Automotive (night shift), PTRCA, Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning, Fitter Machinist, and Industrial Automation, a total of thirteen people comprised
the administration. The Spiritual Moderator was not available for an interview due to an illness.
The people who were directly involved in establishing and maintaining the partnerships were the
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 73
Technical Director, the External Relations Officer, and the OJT and Scholarship assistants. The
Assistant Technical Director and the shop heads were mainly responsible for delivering
instruction, and their involvement with the partners arose from partnership concerns about
instruction.
Survey
Each of the members of the administration was invited to complete a short printed
survey, and all but the Assessment Center Manager submitted the survey. The survey was
designed to augment the interview so that questions that were common to all were asked through
the survey. All the questions were answered by the respondents, except for one question that was
left unanswered by one respondent.
Interviews
Each member of the administration was interviewed over the period from November to
December 2017. The interviews were held in a visitor’s room in Don Bosco Makati’s TVET
Center, which allowed for quiet and uninterrupted interviews. The interviews lasted from 40
minutes to an hour and a half. The interviews were conducted using a mix of Filipino and
English, as some of the interviewees were more comfortable switching back and forth between
the two languages. After the transcripts were completed and as the data from the interviews were
being analyzed, the researcher thought it best to conduct a second interview with the Technical
Director for some clarifying questions. The researcher also had an opportunity to interview the
former assistant technical director who was involved in establishing industry partnerships before
the time of the incumbent Technical Director.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 74
Data Collection and Validity
The interview transcripts were coded using a qualitative data analysis (QDA) software-
MAXQDA. The software allowed the researcher to systematically code each transcript and,
group the codes into different themes. There were a mix of predetermined themes and emergent
themes. The predetermined themes were the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences that were the subject of this research. Emergent themes formed as they became
evident from the responses. The codes were grouped and regrouped until the themes became
evident. There were about 303 codes generated from fifteen interview transcripts. The distinct
advantage of MAXQDA was the ability it gave to manage all these codes with ease.
The codes were color-coded into knowledge (yellow), motivational (blue), and
organizational (green) factors. Figure 2 shows the distribution of the codes according to the
KMO factors. Figure 3 shows the themes, the frequency with which these themes appeared in all
the transcripts and each interview transcript. The MAXQDA software provided a better way of
evaluating whether the ideas that emerged were relevant and mapped into some of the themes, or
whether the ideas were extraneous information that did not need any further attention.
The frequency with which the themes came out in the interviews provided some measure
of confidence in the data. However, to further provide validity to the findings, triangulation using
multiple methods of data collection was employed (Merriam, 2009). The interview results were
validated against the information gathered from 1.) survey results; 2.) documents, news articles,
and publications about the partnerships of Don Bosco. The documents that were evaluated were
employability reports, OJT reports, scholarship monitoring reports, list of industry partners,
partnership agreements, Don Bosco TVET center profile, brochures, and pamphlets; and 3.)
observation of the classrooms and laboratories.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 75

Figure 2. Distribution of codes by knowledge (yellow), motivation (blue), and organizational
(green) factors generated from MAXQDA document portrait report

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 76

Figure 3. Frequency of codes per theme for each transcribed document and for all documents.
generated from the MAXQDA code matric browser.

Results and Findings for Knowledge Influences
There were 15 knowledge related influences assumed in Chapter Two, four of which
were factual, three were conceptual, five were procedural, and three metacognitive. Out of the
four factual influences, one was partially validated to be an asset while the three were found to
not be an asset. The 11 conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive influences were all validated
to be an asset. One discovered asset is the knowledge of how to secure funding support from
partners. These findings are summarized in Table 8.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 77
Table 8
Findings on Assumed Knowledge Influences
Assumed Knowledge Influences Validated
Factual
The administration knows the criteria for selecting partners no
The administration knows its networks of businesses and non-
government organizations
no
The administration knows the current and future skills
requirements of industry
partial
The administration knows the program standards of government
and international governing bodies
no
Conceptual
The administration understands the relationship between
partnerships and employability of its graduates
yes
The administration understands the relationship between OJT
and employability of its graduates
yes
The administrations knows the relationship between integrating
industry requirements into the curriculum and employability of
its graduates
yes
Procedural
The administration knows how to secure and
nurture partnerships with industry and non-government
organizations
yes
The administration knows how to integrate the skills required by
industry partners into its curriculum
yes
The administration knows how to collaborate with industry in
the development of training equipment and facilities
yes

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 78
Table 8, continued
Assumed Knowledge Influences Validated
Procedural
The administration knows how to conduct OJT with industry
partners
yes
The administration knows how to produce graduates who
possess skills that matches the needs of its industry partners
yes
Metacognitive
The administration knows how to establish goals about its
partnerships and develop strategies to achieve those partnerships
yes
The administration knows how to monitor its relationships with
its partners
yes
The administration knows how to reflect on its relationships
with partners and identify areas for improvement
yes
Discovered Asset
The administration knows how to secure support from its
partners for scholarships

Criteria for Selecting Partners
There were only two criteria for selecting partners mentioned in the interviews. One
mentioned by the OJT Assistant that companies should have needs that are related to the
programs offered by the school, and the second mentioned by Fr. Dindo that companies must
promote values aligned with the school. The first surfaced when the OJT assistant related the
story of a pest control company that wanted to partner with the school, but the school had no
programs that would match the needs of the company. Understandably, the school cannot cater
to companies whose needs are beyond the programs of the school. Even if the administration has
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 79
this criteria, it does not add any value to the ability of the school to form partnerships. The
second referred to an instance when they had to turn down support from a politician's fund. Such
funds were termed as pork-barrel funds in Philippine media and were subject to a lot of
criticisms from the public, and so it was proper to turn down the offer of support. Though the
administration applied these criteria to the selection of partners, this assumed influence is not an
asset that has contributed to Don Bosco’s ability to develop partnerships.
Knowledge of Networks of Businesses and Non-Government Organization
When the administration was asked how they got to know of the companies they are
working with, several of the administration members explained that the companies were referred
to Don Bosco by graduates working in the companies. The OJT assistant recounted,
Companies would usually come to us because of referrals by graduates. Just recently, a
company in refrigeration and air-conditioning came to us seeking OJTs and when we ask
why Don Bosco, the companies would say that they have Don Bosco graduates working
with them who they find are competent.
Shop head Jack recalled that some of his former students who are employed or are now
supervisors in companies call the current students themselves for OJT opportunities. Shop head
Robert bets that “if you walk in to a Toyota service center, more than 50% of the crew would be
Don Bosco graduates.” Fr. Dindo believes the reason they have a lot of partners is their alumni-
“they are our ambassadors,” he proudly stated.
The knowledge of a network of businesses and non-government organizations cultivated
by the administration is not a reason for Don Bosco’s ability to secure partners. Therefore, this
assumed influence is not an asset. However, Don Bosco has been able to build up its partnerships
because of their network of alumni who are their best “ambassadors.”
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 80
Knowledge of Current and Future Skills Requirements
The administration keeps abreast of changing skills requirements through its close
interaction with industry. The administration has several methods to get updated on current
industry requirements. These include the following: 1.) the monthly OJT feedback sessions that
they have with students; 2.) work immersions for faculty and students where they are made to
perform some tasks in the different operations of the industry partners for a brief period; 3.)
visits by the company representatives to the school; and 4.) graduate tracer studies which are
surveys conducted to follow-up on graduates and determine whether they are employed or not,
where they are employed, and the details of their employment. There are no formal labor market
surveys implemented, such as surveys of employers or surveys of workers. However, it is the
close working relationships of Don Bosco with employers that enable them to keep in touch with
the market needs. It may be difficult for employers to predict what the skills requirements are
years ahead, but employers know best which skills are in need and which are difficult to find
(Johanson & Bonto, 2009).
The Assistant Technical Director explained that students who are in their OJT
assignments for five months come back to the school once a month to report on their OJT
experiences. He stated that “the OJT students have monthly feedback sessions with their class
advisers in school, usually on Sundays. The feedback sessions are when they can tell their
advisers of processes or technologies they have not yet encountered in class." All shop heads
mentioned the OJT feedback sessions as a way of having a sense of what the industry
requirements are. The External Relations Officer also cited the immersions that trainers or shop
heads attend to know what the trends are in the industry. Shop head Jack narrated that sometimes
the company’s trainer comes over to handle the sessions with the students.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 81
The administration has methods that are in place to get feedback from its partners on
what their skills requirements are. It may not be an elaborate process, but because they work so
closely with the industry, the feedback they get is live and instantaneous. However, these
methods provide knowledge of the current skills requirements than future skills requirements.
This assumed influence is partially validated.
Knowledge of Program Standards of Government and International Governing Bodies
The national standards for skills training are contained in the Training Regulations, or
TR, of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The TR's specify
the outcomes that must be achieved by the programs and contain the minimum standards for
training tools and equipment and teacher qualifications. TESDA groups competencies into three
categories: basic, common, and core. The Philippine TRs are ISO certified and are benchmarked
with the Australian competency-based training and education framework (OECD, 2017).
A comparison of Don Bosco’s Course Structure against TESDA’s training regulations for
Automotive Mechanic in Table 9 show that Don Bosco offers the same technical competencies
required in the TRs. However, the items in the table that are shaded yellow indicate that Don
Bosco offers more in its curricula than what is required. Don Bosco’s course structure includes
items such as communication skills (preparing and delivering speeches); math (solve problems
involving business and consumer loans); and life skills (creating a personal development plan).
An inspection of the course structures for the other programs also reveal the same findings. Thus,
the administration of Don Bosco knows and complies with the program standards of the
government, and exceeds these standards by offering more than what is required.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 82
Table 9

Comparison of Don Bosco Course Structure and TESDA Training Regulations on Automotive
Servicing NC I

Don Bosco Curriculum
TESDA Training Regulations

Automobile Mechanic =
Automotive Servicing NC I Automotive Servicing NC I
1
Communicate orally in the
workplace using the English
language

Participate in Workplace
Communication
2
Received and respond to
workplace communication

Received and respond to workplace
communication
3
Provide work skill instructions

Provide work skill instructions
4
Practice basic housekeeping
procedures

Practice basic housekeeping
procedures
5
Practice Occupational Health
and Safety procedures

Practice health, safety and
environment procedures
6
Practice shop safety procedures

7
Perform shop maintenance

Perform shop maintenance
8
Remove and tag engine system
components

Remove and tag engine system
components
9
Service engine mechanical
system (For Gasoline Engine)

10
Perform gas engine tune up

Perform gas engine tune up

Perform diesel engine tune up

Perform diesel engine tune up
11
Remove and replace
electrical/electronic units/
assemblies

Remove and replace
electrical/electronic units/ assemblies
12
Move and position vehicle

Move and position vehicle
13
Inspect technical quality of work

Inspect technical quality of work
14
Work with others

Work with Others
15
Demonstrate work values

Demonstrate work values
16
Maintain quality systems

Maintain quality systems
17
Perform job estimates

Perform job estimates
18
Remove and tag automotive
steering, suspension and brake
system components

Remove and tag automotive steering,
suspension and brake system
components
19
Service Brake System

Service Brake System
20
Service Steering System

Service Steering System
21
Remove and tag transmission
system parts

Remove and tag transmission system
components

Overhaul manual transmission

Overhaul Manual Transmission

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 83
Table 9, continued
Don Bosco Curriculum
TESDA Training Regulations

Automobile Mechanic =
Automotive Servicing NC I Automotive Servicing NC I
22
Service automatic transmission

23
Service clutch system

Service Clutch System
24
Service differential and front
axle

Service Differential and Front Axle
25
Service suspension system

Service Suspension System
27
Perform under chassis
preventive maintenance

No equivalent in the training
regulations
28
Prepare and deliver speeches for
specific purposes

29
Solve problems involving
simple and compound interests
and simple and general annuities

30
Solve problems involving stocks
and bonds

31
Solve problems involving
business and consumer loans

32
Manage self

33
Create a personal development
plan

34
Demonstrate intimacy with
Christ by praying, participating
in Masses and receiving the
other sacraments

35
Perform aerobic exercises

36
Perform muscle and bone
strengthening exercises

However, the shop heads believe that the competencies required in the Training
Regulations are outdated and not aligned with industry needs. Shop head Johnny narrated his
frustration with the training regulations:
The training regulations is our problem. The TRs is generalized; it only specifies the
minimum requirements. When you get to the industry, the needs are different. The needs
are higher than what are in the TRs. This is because TESDA’s TRs have been developed
a long time ago, but technology changes fast.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 84
Shop head Robert also believes that the TRs are not aligned with industry needs, and he related
that he attended a meeting in TESDA precisely to talk about realigning the TRs with industry.
These findings indicate that while Don Bosco knows and complies with the standards of the
government, compliance does not necessarily translate to outcomes that are aligned with industry
needs. This knowledge is therefore not an asset to the school’s ability to develop its partnerships.
Partnerships and the Employability of Graduates
The relationship of the partnerships to the employability of the graduates needs no further
elaboration as far as the administration is concerned. Shop head Ramon affirmed that the
partners give them confidence because when their students graduate, they know there would be
employment waiting for them. “Where would the students go if not for the partners?”, he asked
rhetorically. Shop head Robert emphasized that “Don Bosco would not be here if not for these
partners." Shop head Johnny added that a shipping company recruits their fitter-machinists for
OJT, and even during the OJT they already receive $ 1,100, an amount that is huge for a family
living on minimum wage. Fr. Dindo added industry is crucial to the development and training of
the students.
The employment reports of Don Bosco in February 2017 for the cohorts which started in
June 2012 to June 2015 show that the graduates of Don Bosco are employed mostly with its
industry partners. A sample of this employment report is shown in Figure 4. Based on the
assertions of the administration and the record of employment Don Bosco graduates, the
administration understands the relationship between partnerships and the employability of its
graduates. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 85

Figure 4. Sample of employment report for cohort 79 of automobile mechanic course.
On-the-job (OJT) or In-plant Training and Employability of Graduates
The administration understands that the on-the-job training usually ends up in
employment by the companies that host the trainee. The OJT Assistant stressed that the OJT
companies absorb about 90% of the trainees; this is validated when the OJT reports are
compared with the employment reports. The OJT reports for cohort 85- those who started in June
2015 and graduated in October 2016, when compared with the employment report of February
2017, show that most of the graduates were employed with the same companies where they did
their on-the-job training. In the few instances that it did not, it led to employment in another
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 86
similar company. A sample of the comparison between the OJT report and the employment
report is shown in Table 10.
Table 10

Comparison of OJT report and Employment Report for Cohort 85 (June 2015) of the Automobile
Mechanic Course

Student
#
OJT Report as of September
2016
Where employed as of Feb 2017
1 Penguino Motor Corp. Honda Cars
2 Honda Cars Makati, Inc. - Global Honda Cars
3 Honda Cars, Inc. - Shaw Honda Cars
4 Back to work

5 Honda Cars Makati, Inc. Honda Cars
6 Dropped due to health reason

7 JRCD TRANSORT TAXI JRCD TRANSORT TAXI
8 Dropped due to lack of interest

9 Shown only on OJT Feedback but
no OJT
Honda Cars
10 Ditoy Auto Repair Services Standard Insurance
11 Egarage Motor Works, Inc.
(Monkey Wrench Garage)
Egarage Motor Works, Inc.
(Monkey Wrench Garage)
12 KIA Pasay KIA Pasay
13 SM ACA/ Stunfield SM ACA/ Stunfield
14 Honda Cars Makati, Inc. Honda Cars Makati, Inc.
15 Hyster Philippine Forklift, Inc. Hyster Philippine Forklift, Inc.
16 Denso Koolpix Service Co. Denso Koolpix Service Co.
17 Hyundai Pasig, Inc. Hyundai Pasig, Inc.
18 Bosch Car Service Bosch Car Service
19 Toyota Motor Philippines School
of Tehnology
Toyota Motor Philippines School of
Tehnology
20 KIA Pasay KIA Pasay
21 NO Show

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 87
Table 10,continued
Student
#
OJT Report as of September
2016
Where employed as of Feb 2017
22 Hyundai Parañaque-West Hyundai Parañaque-West
23 Honda Cars Makati, Inc. Honda Cars Makati, Inc.
24 Bormaheco Bormaheco
25 Hyundai Pasig, Inc. Hyundai Pasig, Inc.

Shop head Alvin describes the OJT as a can opener that opens up a whole new view of
the real world, with the actual technologies that are in use in a real work environment. He further
shared that the on-the-job training teaches students interpersonal skills, teamwork, and the ability
to deal with different people. Fr. Dindo articulated that learning is authentic when students are in
the workplace. Shop head Alvin added that a bonus of the OJT is that students get inspired when
they see previous Don Bosco graduates assigned as supervisors or team leaders. Hands-on
learning is one of the most effective modes of instruction, taking from the principles of the old
Chinese proverb “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand” (Mourshed et
al., 2012). Based on these findings, this assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
Relationship Between Integrating Industry Requirements Into the Curriculum and
Employability

The administration understands the relationship between integrating industry
requirements into the curriculum and the employability of their graduates. In response to the
survey question on this, 11 out of 12 highly agree that integrating industry requirements into the
curriculum is essential to the employability of Don Bosco graduates, while one agrees. Figure 5
shows the responses of the administration to this survey question.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 88

Figure 5. Tabulation of survey results among the administration on whether integrating industry
requirements into the curriculum is essential to the employability of graduates.

Most changes that the shop heads modify to the curriculum are done to respond to
industry needs so that when the students graduate from the program, they would have the skills
that are required by industry. For example, shop head Johnnie narrated that the bundling of the
welding and machining programs into one course called fitter machinist was done precisely to
address the needs of ship owners for engine crew who can repair and fabricate metal parts on
board the ship. This course has produced graduates who work as engine crew of shipping lines.
Shop head Jack mentioned that the bundling of the refrigeration and air-conditioning
mechanic and the electrical installation and maintenance into one program was also designed to
respond to the needs of the air-conditioning industry for technicians who knew both the
mechanical and electrical aspects of cooling systems. The PTRCA program mentioned was
designed to meet the needs of Porsche for service mechatronics. So the administration knows
that responding to industry requirements and integrating these into the curriculum results in
better employability for its graduates. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
Knowledge of How to Secure and Nurture Partnerships
Don Bosco has 42 scholarship benefactors and 112 industry/ OJT partners as of June
2016, based on the List of Industry Partners and the Scholarship Monitoring Progress Chart
11
1
0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Highly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Not Agree
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 89
provided by the external relations office. The list of industry partners and sponsors includes
dealers of automotive brands such as Porsche, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia; other
automotive service centers; manufacturing companies; SM and Ayala Foundation; and other
reputable companies.
When asked how the school secured partnerships with these companies, the
administration was consistent in saying that these companies initiated contact and approached
Don Bosco. The companies came because the companies were happy with Don Bosco graduates
working with them, or were referred by somebody who knew about Don Bosco. The reputation
for producing good technicians, skilled workers, and workers with the right attitudes and work
ethic were the reasons why these companies came to Don Bosco. Fr. Dindo said that about 90%
of the companies came to Don Bosco, and added that these companies came with a need that
they knew Don Bosco could fill. As Fr. Dindo put it- "you produce good technicians, the
companies will come to you."
Almost all the administration mentioned how important the reputation of Don Bosco
graduates was to securing new partners. The External Relations Officer narrated that the
reputation of Don Bosco graduates spread by word-of-mouth:
Our graduates are known to have excellent skills, are industrious, and have the right
attitude and so the companies come to us. However, it was not always like this. Before,
the brothers would go from company to company to look for partners.
Shop head Robert described how graduates have gone to work in countries in the Middle
East and established a reputation there. "Companies would ask where these workers came from
and the employers would be referred to Don Bosco", he explained, referring to Al-Futtaim and
Petromin as the companies in the Middle East who came to Don Bosco due to their experiences
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 90
with Don Bosco graduates. Shop head Ramon said that for his department, electromechanical
technician, he could not even supply the current demands of the industry partners.
From these findings it can be concluded that Don Bosco knows how to secure
partnerships, and this knowledge is grounded on the ability of Don Bosco to produce good
graduates. About 90% of the partnerships were formed as a result of the reputation of Don Bosco
graduates. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
How to Integrate Industry Requirements into the Curriculum
The curriculum of Don Bosco at the onset contains input from Industry because it follows
the training regulations issued by the Technical Skills and Development Authority or TESDA,
and these training regulations have been formulated with the participation of the industry. The
training regulations establishes the minimum standards, and it specifies the detailed outcomes,
training tools and equipment, and teacher qualifications required for each program (OECD,
2017). A Technical and Industry Expert Panel develops each training regulation and is
supervised by a Technical Advisory Panel, both of which are composed of industry and academe
experts. The training regulations however limit the ability of the administration to align its
curriculum with industry needs because the school is required to follow these regulations. What
the shop heads do to respond to industry requirements and at the same time stay within the
training regulations is to change the content at the level of the course structure or the lesson
plans, as long as these changes are over and above what is required by the training regulations.
Shop heads are informed of the new requirements of the industry as they attend technical training
programs offered by partners, join immersion programs, or through monthly OJT feedback
sessions they have with students. These avenues provide the administrative mechanisms to detect
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 91
any changes in the skills requirements of industry and allow them to make adjustments in the
lesson plans or course structures.
Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia (PTRCA). The PTRCA program
warrants a separate section as it demonstrates how industry and academe can collaborate
intensively to produce graduates with the necessary skills and supply industry with a steady
stream of qualified workers. The PTRCA was established with the involvement of Porsche AG,
PGA Cars Inc. (Philippines), Don Bosco Mondo, and Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati.
Porsche AG is the manufacturer of the world-renown, high-quality brand of Porsche automobiles
with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. PGA Cars Inc. is the importer and distributor of
Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley in the Philippines and is part of the Coyiuto Group of
Companies. Don Bosco Mondo is a global non-profit organization committed to supporting the
projects of Salesian priests and sisters worldwide.
The PTRCA was set up in response to the rising demand of many importers of Porsche in
emerging markets, particularly in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, for Service Mechatronics
specialists. Porsche and Don Bosco Mondo chose the Philippines because English is one of the
country's official languages and is the medium of instruction. It also has a sizable population of
migrant workers in other countries who are used to working abroad. Lastly, it has the presence of
Don Bosco Technical Institute, which established a reputation for its automotive servicing
program.
In the PTRCA program, the specific training needs of Porsche were added on to the
regular automotive program of Don Bosco. The students go through the regular automotive
program of Don Bosco during the first 10 months, and then undergo a six-month specific
Porsche training, after they which they spend another three months of practical training in PGA
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 92
cars. The curriculum and trainers during the six months Porsche training are provided by Porsche
but are housed in Don Bosco. Figure 6 shows the structure of the PTRCA program.

Figure 6. PTRCA program structure.
Holcim. In the Cement Technician course with Holcim, the curriculum was designed by
Don Bosco in coordination with Holcim, with final approval from Holcim. This course takes
three years to complete, with the first two years in Don Bosco, and the last year in any of the
plants of Holcim as an OJT. During the first two years, students learn a variety of skills that Don
Bosco teaches through its regular offerings such as welding, machining, electrical installation,
industrial controls; but also enriched with other subjects such as Computer Aided Design (CAD),
Instrumentation and Calibration, and Process Control. The summers in between and the last year
are spent training in the cement plants of Holcim. Annex B shows the curriculum of the Cement
Technician course.
10
months
6 months Porsche 3 months
Practical PGA
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 93
Don Bosco knows the current skills requirements of the industry because of its close
collaboration with industry and can work with the industry to integrate these skills requirements
into its curricula. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
How to Secure Support from its Partners for Scholarships
Don Bosco subsidizes its students to the extent of 55% of the total tuition and fees for the
entire program. Almost all students at the start of the program enjoy the 55% subsidy from the
school. However, the majority of the students are still able to benefit from the scholarship
support provided by partners and donors. Table 11 is a summary of the Scholarship Monitoring
Progress Charts for Cohorts 83 to 88. This table shows that 52% of the new enrollees of Don
Bosco were able to secure full scholarships, and 5% were able to get partial scholarships. Big
donors include SM Foundation with 110 scholars in Cohort 87, Toyota with 15, Porsche with 44,
and Propeller Club of Manila with 26. Scholarship support provided by these sponsors is the
primary source of revenue for the school because most of its students cannot pay the full tuition
and fees. According to Fr. Dindo, scholarship funds from sponsors increased from Pesos 5
million when he started in 2010, to P 25 million currently- a five-fold increase. The scholarship
funds cover about 70% of the annual cost of its operations.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 94
Table 11
Summary of Scholarship Monitoring Progress Charts
Cohort #
No of
Enrollees
No of Scholars
No of
Sponsors

Full Partial Total
Cohort 88 276 177 0 177 10
Cohort 87 489 296 33 329 20
Cohort 86 416 200 20 220 14
Cohort 85 473 209 34 243 21
Cohort 84 279 121 0 121 15
Cohort 83 553 295 30 325 25
Total 2486 1298 117 1415 105
Percentage to Enrollees 52% 5%

According to the external relations director, what helped bring about the increase in
scholarship support was a change in the way they transacted with prospective employers. While
before they would entertain companies who only wanted to recruit and gain access to their
database of graduates, Don Bosco now only allows access to companies who will also support
the education of the students. Why he asked, would he allow companies to reap the benefits of
what others invested in? So companies who supported the education of the students were given
the priority in recruiting its graduates. Based on the number and amount of scholarship support
that Don Bosco secures from its partners, the procedural knowledge of how to secure support for
scholarships is validated to be an asset.
How to Collaborate with Industry on the Development of Training Equipment and
Facilities

The administration knows how to collaborate with industry on the development of
training equipment and facilities, as revealed in the agreements it was able to secure with
partners. Training equipment were usually secured in conjunction with a new program that a
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 95
partner company wanted Don Bosco to offer. In the Cement Technician course for example,
Holcim agreed to provide for the upgrade of equipment, tools, and teaching material that were
needed to support the course. Holcim also agreed to build a mechanical workshop at the
manufacturing sites for training. In the PTRCA program, PGA cars provided support for the
training facility. Starting with a training room in 2008, the PTRCA facility was expanded in
2015 to include hydraulic vehicle lifters and ten Porsche vehicles. These examples show that the
administration knows how to collaborate with industry on the development of training equipment
and facilities. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
How to Conduct On-the-job Training (OJT) with Industry Partners
Don Bosco has incorporated some practices into its On-the-job training programs that
have made the training more relevant. First, the OJT program is conducted over a duration of 960
hours, eight hours a day, six days a week, over four to five months. The OJT hours is longer than
that of most schools in the country. Second, students train in companies where they will most
likely be employed. The OJT coordinator said that 90% of the trainees go on to be employed by
the same company. Third, students are only allowed to join the OJT upon successfully passing
the assessment examinations for the National Certifications, attesting to their ability to perform
some skilled work. Lastly, monthly OJT meetings are conducted for the students to have a
guided reflection on what they have learned, as well as give them an opportunity to provide
unrestricted feedback on their training conditions. Fr. Dindo explained that the school gives them
an avenue to talk freely, as opposed to when they are in the companies where they are more
guarded when they talk.
Unesco-Unevoc (2015) defines a quality apprenticeship system as something that
smoothens the school-to-work transition by providing relevant work experience in a real labor
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 96
market environment. Don Bosco has incorporated some practices into its OJT programs to
prepare students for a seamless school-to-work transition. The assumption that Don Bosco
knows how to conduct on-the-job training programs with industry partners is validated to be an
asset.
How to Produce Graduates who Possess Skills that Matches the Needs of the Industry
The employability of Don Bosco's graduates is evidence of its ability to produce
graduates who have the skills needed by industry. An examination of the employment reports of
cohorts 79 to 85, those who graduated from October 2013 to October 2016, show that almost all
its graduates have secured employment in industries where they trained. The Assistant Technical
Director and some shop heads claim that even before the OJT ends, some of the students are
already employed by the company. In fact, shop head Lawrence said that for the PTRCA
training, students are assured of employment with Porsche even upon enrollment.
Other evidences from the research show that the skills of Don Bosco's graduates are in
demand: 1.) Al-Futtaim, a diversified conglomerate in the Middle East, came to partner with
Don Bosco because of a positive experience it had with a Don Bosco graduate who was an
employee. Al-Futtaim has sponsored two batches of scholars yearly as far back as 2012 for its
automotive centers in the Middle East; 2.) Almost 50- 80% of the crew of Toyota Motors service
centers in Metro Manila come from Don Bosco, according to shop heads Robert and Alvin; 3.)
The report published by Porsche reveals that the PTRCA program has trained 40 students yearly
since it started in 2008, and has sent graduates to Porsche’s dealer networks as service
mechatronics specialists around the world (Porsche, 2012). The employability of Don Bosco’s
graduates is proof that they possess skills needed by industry. This assumed influence is
validated to be an asset.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 97
Reflecting on Partnerships, Goals, and Plans
The administration is highly sensitive to what is going on in its environment and is aware
of competitive and market forces that are affecting its partnerships. The merger of Holcim and
La Farge, for example, has slowed down the partnership with Holcim as the human resources
needs of the merged company changed. The political tensions between Saudi Arabia and Qatar
have affected the desire of Al Futtaim to hire Filipino workers. The closure of the Ford
manufacturing plant near Manila caused a decline in the demand for automotive workers. Toyota
set-up its own automotive training center and poses a threat to the sustainability of its partnership
with the school.
Despite all this, Fr. Dindo remains optimistic. He believes that partnerships have their
lifetimes and that they progress through periods of growth, maturation, and eventual decline. He
also realizes that the market for technical and vocational education is vast, and Don Bosco's
footprint on that market is still small. So he plans to continue developing new partnerships;
looking at opportunities to develop partnerships in other countries such as China, India, and
Japan. While he wants to stay focused on his core programs, he wants to move up to the higher
level qualifications such as NC 3 and NC 4. He plans to acquire more advanced technologies
such as the Computerized Numerical Controlled Machines for metal fabrication work.
On a more tactical level, the administration planned to expand its industry partnerships as
part of its Action Plans for SY 2016-17. The administration included under Extension,
Consultancy, and Linkages the following primary objectives: 1.) To invite more sponsors and
industry partners, and 2.) To develop at least two customized or dual training programs within
the school year. Some action plans were identified by the administration to achieve its
objectives. First, they planned to prepare a portfolio about the TVET Center, distribute these
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 98
portfolios during industry gatherings, and conduct follow-on meetings. Second, they planned to
invite potential industry partners whom they can develop customized programs with.
The ability to reflect on their partnerships, take a broad view of the things that are
happening in the environment, establish goals, and formulate strategies and plans show that the
administration has these metacognitive knowledge assets. The three assumed influences covering
metacognitive knowledge: 1. Establishing goals for its partnerships and developing strategies to
achieve those goals; 2. Monitoring relationships with its partners; and 3. Reflecting on
relationships with partners and identifying areas for improvement are all validated to be an asset
of the administration.
Summary of Knowledge Findings
The assumed factual knowledge influences of a network of businesses, a criterion for
selecting partners, and the program standards of the government did not turn out to be assets of
the administration. The knowledge of current and future skills requirements was only partially
validated as it is difficult to predict future requirements. However, what came out as a strength
was Don Bosco’s network of alumni, discussed separately under organizational influences. The
conceptual knowledge of partnerships, the role of OJT to employability, the importance of
integrating industry requirements, were all validated to be assets. The procedural knowledge- the
how-to, of the different aspects of the administration’s collaboration with industry were all
validated to be assets. Finally, the ability to monitor and reflect on the partnerships, to set goals
for the organizations, and to develop plans to achieve those goals, were all determined to be
assets of the administration.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 99
Results and Findings for Motivational Influences
Motivational theory asserts that the value that students place on a task, and their
perceptions about self-efficacy and competence, motivate students to perform better (Pintrich,
2003). There were twelve motivational influences that were assumed in Chapter Three, five of
which were influences brought about by value, four stemming from self-efficacy perceptions,
and three arising out of positive moods. All of these influences except one were all validated to
be an asset. The other remaining assumed influence- the confidence in integrating industry
requirements into the curriculum was partially validated. Table 12 summarizes the findings on
motivational influences.
Table 12
Findings on Assumed Motivational Influences
Assumed Motivational Influences

Value Validated
The administration values the integration of industry
requirements into its curriculum
yes
The administration values collaboration with industry on the
development of training equipment and facilities
yes
The administration values scholarships provided by its
partners
yes
The administration values on-the-job training provided by its
industry partners
yes
The administration values its ability to supply industry
partners with manpower who possess the relevant skills
yes
Self-Efficacy
The administration is confident in its ability to build its
partnerships
yes
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 100
Table 12,continued
Assumed Motivational Influences

Self-Efficacy
The administration is confident in its ability to integrate
industry requirements into its curriculum
partially
The administration is confident in its ability to secure support
from partners for scholarships and supervised in-plant
training
yes
The administration is confident in its ability to produce
graduates who have the skills needed by industry
yes
Mood
The administration feels positive about its partnerships with
industry and non-government organizations
yes
The administration feels positive about the integration of
industry requirements into its curriculum
yes
The administration feels positive about getting support from
industry for scholarships and OJT
yes

Value of Integrating Industry Requirements Into Its Curriculum
The administration realizes the need to integrate the requirements of the industry into its
curriculum to make its graduates more employable. When asked in the survey how valuable is
the work of integrating industry requirements into its curriculum to the employability of its
graduates, 11 out of the 12 administration members rated this as highly valuable, and only one
rated it as valuable, as shown in Figure 7. Fr. Dindo articulated the value of integrating industry
requirements:
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 101
If the industry is not involved in the curriculum, if the industry is not involved in the
crafting of the program, then the training will be shallow and might even be obsolete
because it will not be attuned to industry standards.

Figure 7. Tabulation of survey results among the administration on how valuable is the work of
integrating industry requirements into the curriculum.

As discussed in the section on knowledge, the administration understands how essential
the work of integrating industry requirements into the curriculum is to the employability of its
graduates. The attainment value of the effort on integrating industry requirements into the
curriculum is employability of its graduates. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
Value of Collaboration with Industry on the Development of Training Equipment
A tour around the campus shows how industry has collaborated with the school on the
development of training equipment. Most notable are the training facilities for the automotive
program. The school has an area which simulates and functions as an automotive service center
facility with real cars that the students can experiment on. Figure 8 shows the automotive
training facility put up with the support of Ford.
11
0
1
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Very Valuable Valuable Somewhat
valuable
Not Valuable
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 102

Figure 8. Ford automotive training facility.
The highlight of the automotive facilities is the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center
Asia (PTRCA). The PTRCA consists of a service center facility measuring about 1200 square
meters, complete with hydraulic automotive lifters. There is also a separate room measuring
about 40 square meters for lectures and discussion. The rooms comply with international Porsche
service standards and are used exclusively for Porsche training. There are 10 Porsche vehicles in
the center for the students to do hands-on training. Figure 9 shows an artist’s rendition of the
PTRCA training facility and students doing hands-on training in the laboratory. This laboratory,
the equipment, and the Porsche vehicles were all provided by Porsche.

Figure 9. PTRCA training facility.

Other laboratories show the collaboration of the school with industry. Figure 10 shows
the mechatronics laboratory that was set up with the support of Holcim. Figure 11 is a picture of
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 103
the refrigeration and air-conditioning training room, equipped with refrigerators and air-
conditioners provided by Concepcion Industries, the local manufacturer and provider of the
Carrier brand. The Don Bosco TVET center is a newly constructed facility built with support
from partners for cement, elevators, steel, and air-conditioning equipment.
The support that the administration secured from partners for the building, laboratories,
and training equipment show that Don Bosco values collaboration with industry for the
development of facilities. This assumed influence is validated to be an asset.

Figure 10. Mechatronics training facility

Figure 11. Refrigeration and air-conditioning training facility
Value of Scholarships Provided by Partners
Industry partners contribute to the scholarships of the students and allow Don Bosco to
continue to fulfill its mission of providing technical education to the marginalized youth, thereby
helping them get out of poverty. Don Bosco takes in about 1,000 students yearly, a little more
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 104
than half of them in the June cohort, and the balance during the November cohort. Don Bosco
spends P43,000 for the whole 15-month education of the students, which makes the cost of
educating 1000 students at 43 million pesos. Since most of the students receive scholarships, the
cost value of these scholarships combined even at 50% of the whole cost is roughly 20 to 22
million pesos yearly, which is close to Fr. Dindo's estimate of 25 million pesos yearly. Fr. Dindo
emphasized the importance of these scholarships,
Our partners know that we are working for the benefit of the students, that this is not a
for-profit institution, and that whatever help they give is meant to help these
underprivileged youths get employed, to be productive members of the society, to
become good employees.
Several of the shop heads confirmed that these scholarships have indeed allowed their students to
transform their lives. The PTRCA shop head added that Porsche hires the graduates of the
program and in the remote case that a graduate is not, the skill that he or she gained from the
program will give that graduate a big head start.
There are attainment values to all stakeholders of the scholarships: 1.) It allows the
partners a steady pipeline of highly skilled workers; 2.) it enables the students to gain an
education that will help them secure employment, and 3.) it allows Don Bosco to fulfill its
mission of transforming the lives of the out-of-school and indigent youths. The administration
realizes the cost value and the attainment value of the scholarships provided by partners. This
assumed influence is validated to be an asset.
Value of On-the-Job Training Provided by Partners
Motivation is provided by the intrinsic value of the task- the enjoyment one gets from
performing a task; and by a utility value- the value in facilitating the achievement of one’s long-
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 105
term goals (Eccles, 2013). The OJT has an intrinsic value and a utility value to the students and
the administration, which motivates them to accomplish the OJT.
On-the-Job training has an intrinsic value in that it deepens learning. Fr. Dindo expressed
that "on-the-job training is an important piece of the puzzle because, without OJT, the training
we provide is superficial." The Assistant Technical Director stated that they have equipment to
simulate the actual work, but there is nothing that beats being in the shop floor itself. Shop head
Robert stressed that an OJT allows the student to experience the real world, with the element of
having to interact with fellow workers and customers. He added that the OJT is the chance for
students to demonstrate their skills, attitude, and values and make an impression on their future
employer. Shop Head Alvin affirmed that the OJT helps develop interpersonal skills and
teamwork among the students.
OJT has a utility value to the students because it helps them achieve their long-term goal
of employability. As discussed in the previous section, 90% of the OJT placements lead to
employment by the same companies, as confirmed by the OJT assistant. The Scholarship
Assistant observed that employers make their hiring decision during the OJT. The Scholarship
Assistant stated that “If the trainee shows potential, the company will hire the students. If the
trainee fails the standards of the company, then that trainee will not be hired”. All twelve of the
administration surveyed said that OJT is very valuable to the employability of the graduates, as
shown in Figure 12.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 106

Figure 12. Tabulation of survey results among the administration on how valuable is OJT to the
employability of graduates.

The OJT has an intrinsic value and an attainment value for the students and the
administration. The assumed influence that the administration values on-the-job training
provided by industry partners is validated to be an asset of the administration.
Value of Ability to Supply Industry Partners with Graduates who Possess the Relevant
Skills

The record of employability of Don Bosco’s graduates are an indication of the
administration’s ability to supply businesses and organizations with human resources who
possess the relevant skills. As can be gleaned from Table 13, Don Bosco graduates for cohorts 76
to 84, or those who entered Don Bosco from November 2011 to November 2014, are all
employed. The employment rate is consistent for all cohorts, meaning everyone is absorbed into
the industry.

12
0 0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Very Valuable Valuable Somewhat valuable Not Valuable
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 107
Table 13
Employability of Graduates for the SYs 2011-12 to 15-16 (Don Bosco Profile)
Cohorts
Date
Entered
Enrolled Graduated Assessed Certified Employed
%
Employed:
Graduated
84
Nov-14
424 337 313 313 328 97%
83
Jun-14
532 459 366 366 459 100%
82
Nov-13
380 319 na na 319 100%
81
Jun-13
504 431 na na 462 107%
80
Nov-12
306 267 na na 267 100%
79
Jun-12
580 488 na na 488 100%
78
Nov-11
352 291 na na 291 100%
77
Jun-11
490 433 na na 433 100%
76
Nov-11
287 243 na na 243 100%
Total

3855 3268 679 679 3290 101%

The administration values its ability to supply the human resource needs of partner
companies with graduates who possess the relevant skills. The Assistant Technical Director
believes the school’s products are superior. As he stated, “companies approach us because Don
Bosco is the first that comes to mind when it comes to technical skills needs.” Shop head Alvin
affirmed that "businesses know Don Bosco as a technical school whose graduates exhibit not
only technical skills but good values as well.” Shop head Jack recounted that a big air-
conditioning firm approached him because “your graduates are outstanding and orderly.” The
Scholarship Assistant narrated the story of a graduate who won the skills Olympics of a company
in Saudi Arabia, and when they traced where he came from, they identified Don Bosco and
thereafter the company approached Don Bosco to seek a partnership. The assumed influence that
the administration values its ability to supply the human resource needs of industry with
graduates who possess the relevant skills is validated to be an asset.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 108
Self-Efficacy
The administration of Don Bosco has achieved a level of confidence in its ability to
attract industry partners because of the quality of graduates it produces, thereby increasing their
motivation to persist in the effort to get industry partners. When people expect to do well, the
motivation to try harder, to persist, and perform better also increases (Pintrich, 2003). Because
the administration expects to do well, it is motivated to perform better.
The following charts show how the administration responded to the questions on
confidence. On the question of whether it is confident in its ability to establish partnerships, nine
participants said they were highly confident, and three said they were confident. On the question
of whether they were confident in the ability to conduct on-the-job training, ten said they were
very confident, and two said they were confident. However, on the question on whether they
were confident in their ability to integrate industry requirements into the curriculum, five said
they were very confident, and six said they were confident, with one not responding to the
question.

Figure 13. Tabulation of survey results showing how confident administration is in establishing
partnerships.

9
3
0 0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very Confident Confident Somewhat Confident Not Confident
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 109

Figure 14. Tabulation of survey results on how confident administration is about conducting on-
the-job training.

Figure 15. Tabulation of survey results on how confident administration is about integrating
industry requirements into the curriculum.

From these findings, one can say that the administration has a high degree of confidence
in establishing partnerships and conducting OJTs. These assumed influences are validated.
However, the confidence in the ability to integrate industry requirements is not as high as
establishing partnerships or conducting OJTs. Therefore this assumed influence is partially
validated.
10
2
0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Very Confident Confident Somewhat
Confident
Not Confident
5
6
0 0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Very Confident Confident Somewhat
Confident
Not Confident
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 110
Mood About the Partnerships, Integrating Industry Requirements, and OJT
The administration feels positive about its partnerships. Fr. Dindo mentioned that the
partnerships they have established makes them feel proud because their partners are the best in
their fields:
Look at the line-up of our partners- Porsche, Bosch, they are the top companies in their
industries. Al-Futtaim is the top in the United Arab Emirates. Our partner Holcim is the
leader in cement sales in the Philippines. Toyota and Ford are big companies. Carrier has
the largest share in air-conditioning in the country. Shoe Mart and Jollibee are top
corporations in the Philippines. They all believe in Don Bosco.
Shop head Ramon described the partners as " the saviors of the students because they give our
students hope for a better life, they are like a wall that we can constantly lean on for support. "
Shop head Lawrence declared that the partners help raise vocational education in Don Bosco to
the highest level, patterned after the German system of dual training. Overall, the feeling and the
mood towards these partnerships is positive.
The following responses to the survey shows how the administration views its
partnerships:

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 111

Figure 17. Agreement of the administration with the statement “On-the-job training is essential
to the employability of our graduates.”

Figure 16. Agreement of the administration with the statement “Our industry partners have
contributed greatly to the employability of our graduates”

10
2
0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Highly Agree Agree Somewhat
Agree
Not Agree
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Highly Agree Agree Somewhat
Agree
Not Agree
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 112

Figure 18. Agreement of the administration with the statement “Integrating industry
requirements into the curriculum is essential to the employability of our graduates”

Figure 19. Extent of agreement by the administration with the statement “Overall, industry
partnerships is indispensable to our technical-vocational training”

11
1
0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Highly Agree Agree Somewhat
Agree
Not Agree
Integrating industry requirements into the curriculum is
essential to the employability of our graduates
10
2
0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Highly Agree Agree Somewhat
Agree
Not Agree
Overall, industry partnerships is indispensable to our
technical-vocational training
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 113
The responses to the survey show that there is an overall positive mood towards the
industry partners, and this has given the administration additional motivation to pursue these
partnerships. The administration views the partnerships and the work that they do as essential,
indispensable, and contributing greatly to the employability of its graduates. The mood towards
partnerships, the effort to integrate industry requirements into the curriculum, and OJT are all
validated to be assets to the organization.
Summary of Motivational Findings
There were twelve motivational influences that were investigated, and all of these except
one were validated by the interviews, survey, document analysis, and observation to be assets to
the organization. The administration values the different aspects of their partnerships with
industry, and this includes embedding industry needs into the curriculum, collaborating on
instruction, generating support for scholarships, and training students in the workplace. The
administration is confident about their ability to perform these tasks, except that the confidence
in integrating industry requirements into the curriculum is not as strong as the other tasks.
Overall, there is a positive mood and outlook towards the work that they do with industry.
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences
The following section presents the results and findings for the assumed organizational
influences gathered from the interviews, documents, and observations. There were two assumed
influences on policies and processes, and three covering culture. The two assumed influences on
policies and processes were discovered not to be assets to the organization, while the three
influences on culture (mission, reputation, and work ethics) were validated to be assets. There
were four discovered assets namely: network of alumni, dynamic leader, separate and
autonomous unit, and fully-engaged partners. These assumed influences and discovered assets
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 114
are summarized in Table 14. Each of these assets will be discussed in detail in the following
section.
Table 14
Findings on Organizational Influences
Policies & Processes Validated
The administration has clear training standards which are consistent
with national and international standards
no
The administration aligns its programs with the Philippine
Qualifications Reference Framework to allow mobility across
educational systems and between ASEAN countries
no
Culture
The administration has established a reputation for producing
graduates who possess the appropriate skills required by industry
yes
The administration decisions are influenced by Don Bosco’s
Salesian mission of helping the underserved youth gain
employment through technical education
yes
The administration instills work ethic among its students yes
Discovered Assets

Network of Alumni
Dynamic Leader

Separate, autonomous unit

Fully engaged partners

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 115
Clear Training Standards Consistent with National Standards
As discussed in the section on knowledge of program standards of government and
international governing bodies under knowledge findings, the administration observes the
national standards as contained in the training regulations. In fact, the administration goes over
and above the national standards. However, the national standards are seen as minimum
standards that must be complied with and are not seen as an asset that strengthens partnerships.
This assumed organizational influence is not an asset.
The Administration Aligns its Programs with the Philippines Qualifications Framework
(PQF)

The Philippines Qualifications Framework (PQF) describes the levels of educational
qualifications and the standard outcomes for each level. It was established through Executive
Order No. 83 Series of 2012 and signed by then-President Benigno S. Aquino III. The PQF
provides for eight levels of education, the lowest five of which cover the technical and vocational
programs under TESDA (TESDA, 2012). The PQF was designed to 1.) set the national standards
for each level of education, 2.) provide pathways for students who wanted to move from
technical-vocational to higher education, and 3.) support the mobility of workers among different
countries with equivalent qualifications frameworks ( TESDA, 2012) . The PQF is shown in
Figure 19.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 116

Figure 20. The Philippines Qualifications Framework
TESDA’s qualifications are aligned with the Philippine Qualifications Framework, and
are indicated by the blue bars in Figure 19. Don Bosco follows the standards of TESDA so Don
Bosco’s programs are aligned with the PQF. The program designations of Don Bosco denoted by
NC I, NC II, or III refer to levels 1, 2, and 3 of the PQF. However, the PQF was never once
mentioned as having an impact on establishing partnerships, nor on improving the employability
of the students, therefore alignment with the PQF is not an asset.
Reputation
As discussed in the section on knowledge of how to secure partnerships, it was
discovered that it was Don Bosco’s reputation for producing top-quality technical skills that
made companies come to Don Bosco for partnerships. The reputation of Don Bosco is
exceptionally strong in the automotive sector. All of the major automotive companies except two
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 117
have already partnered with Don Bosco and are either providing scholarships or on-the-job
training opportunities to students, most of which result in employment with these companies. At
Toyota, for example, shop head Robert and Alvin estimate that between 50 to 80% of technical
crew in automotive service centers are Don Bosco graduates. The reputation for producing
graduates with excellent technical skills is an asset.
Mission
In a news article in Business Mirror, Don Bosco was featured with the caption "Turning
the less fortunate into competitive technicians." The article describes how Don Bosco has helped
the less fortunate and the out-of-school youth rise from destitution and turn them into productive
technicians with promising and decent employment. Indeed, it has been Don Bosco's mission to
help the less fortunate among the youth enjoy a productive life through technical skills
education. Their mission is encapsulated in the phrase "Forming good Christians and upright
citizens."
The mission of Don Bosco follows the mission of St. John Bosco and the Salesians
world-wide to help the underprivileged youth. St. John Bosco dedicated his whole life to helping
street children, juvenile delinquents, and other less fortunate boys gain a decent livelihood by
teaching them to be artisans and setting them up to be apprentices with employers. Don Bosco
Mondo, the non-profit organization based in Germany and the CSR arm of the Salesians,
declares its mission as:
In close partnership with the worldwide community of the Salesians of Don Bosco, we
commit ourselves to supporting disadvantaged children and adolescents from poorer
population groups. We support them in developing their physical, mental, and emotional
qualities to grow up as independent personalities (Don Bosco Mondo, 2018)
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 118
The mission started by St. John Bosco continues to this day in the works of Don Bosco
TVET center. The scholarships they provide to underprivileged youth and the partnerships it has
with industry for apprenticeships and employment are patterned after what St. John Bosco started
centuries ago. "For us, it is all about our mission," declared Fr. Dindo. "We are a non-profit
school, and our mission and vision are to provide good education and good employment."
The mission of Don Bosco motivates the administration to pursue its alliances with
industry and to continue to seek support for the scholarships of its students. The mission of Don
Bosco provides a sense of shared purpose and shared values that drive the strategies to build
partnerships. The mission has been relevant for St. John Bosco centuries ago; the mission is still
relevant today. The mission of Don Bosco is an asset.
Values, Ethics, and Attitude
Unesco views the role of TVET to be educating the whole person and not just the worker.
Skills development should take on a more holistic approach by not only developing skills but
also by inculcating a sense of values, ethics, and attitudes so that the learner is prepared not only
for employment but employability and responsible citizenship (Unesco Unevoc, 2015). The shop
heads echo this view of TVET education. Shop head Robert emphasized that values and behavior
are important and particularly cited honesty, punctuality, and concern for the company as being
essential. He mentioned that companies even place a greater weight on values when they hire
their graduates, as skills could be further developed when the graduates are in the workplace.
Shop head Johnny agrees on the importance of attitude. He has observed that from his more than
twenty years of experience with their students and his relations with colleagues that those with a
right attitude are those who end up being successful.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 119
The Assistant Technical Director believes that good values and attitudes are the reasons
why the employers absorb about 98% of their graduates into their workforce. He mentions that
they integrate work ethics into their training. For example, students are taught to be punctual.
With three instances of tardiness, the parents are called in, with five they are removed from the
program. The student activities coordinator adds that the weekly masses, the monthly Educative
Pastoral Council mass, and the weekly outreach to the home for the aged help inculcate good
values and attitudes to the students.
The importance that the administration puts on attitudes and values, and the indications
that employers value the attitude of Don Bosco graduates, reveal that the administration of Don
Bosco inculcate the right work ethic among its graduates and is an asset to the administration.
Network of Alumni
A strength of Don Bosco is that is has alumni working in industry who have a hand in
recruiting students for OJT placements or employment, or who refer their employers to Don
Bosco. It was discovered in the section on knowledge of networks of businesses and non-
government organizations that it is actually the network of alumni of Don Bosco that has helped
them establish partnerships. Fr. Dindo described alumni as “our ambassadors.” Shop head Robert
explained that a benefit of graduates working in industry is that they come back looking for
students. He cited as an example a graduate who was working in Volvo and who approached him
to ask for OJT students. He added that more than 50% of technical crew of automotive service
center in Metro Manila are Don Bosco graduates. Shop head Jack commented that at times,
alumni and students network among themselves for OJT and employment opportunities. The
network of alumni is a discovered asset for Don Bosco.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 120
Dynamic Leader
The transformation and significant milestones that Don Bosco has achieved in recent
years may be attributed in large part to its dynamic and youthful leader, its Technical Director-
Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug. Under Fr. Dindo, the school was able to construct a new building worth
300 million pesos to house the TVET Center. The significant partnerships with Ford, Holcim,
PTRCA, Al- Futtaim, Bosch and many more were cemented during the leadership of Fr. Dindo.
Fr. Dindo took over as technical director in 2010, and by 2013, the TVET Center was financially
sustainable.
Fr. Dindo is not the typical priest in that he approaches his work much like a 21st-century
business leader. He talked about the need at the time he came in to change the organizational
culture, to change the mindset of the people. Fr. Dindo narrated:
I was very much involved with the organizational structure at the start, I had to change
people and move around others. I had to place people where they can be optimized. For
me, changing the mindset of people was the most difficult to achieve. It is priceless.
He took an active role in curriculum design and development, and in establishing partnerships.
Fr. Dindo discussed the need to be open to the needs of industry partners and be adaptable, to be
innovative, and entrepreneurial. He adopts an attitude of openness towards partners. He credited
this ability to his education.
I am privileged to have the chance to get associate degrees in Germany and Singapore. I
was also able to finish my doctorate in Education Management and Leadership. This has
given me the ability to adapt, to think outside the box.
Don Bosco has a dynamic leader in Fr. Jose "Dindo" Vitug. The leader of the Don Bosco
TVET Center was found to be an asset to the organization.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 121
A Separate, Autonomous Unit Focused on Developing the TVET Programs
The TVET department allows Don Bosco to focus entirely on developing and growing
the TVET programs and allows it to cater to a distinct student population. Figure 13 shows how
Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati is structured. There are three departments in the
Education division- Elementary, High School, and the TVET department. The Education
division is supported by the Student Services, Pastoral Ministry, and the Administrative Services.
All of these divisions report to the Office of the Rector, which in turn reports to the Board of
Trustees.

Figure 21. Organizational Structure of Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati

The TVET department is also called the Don Bosco TVET Center, headed by Fr. Dindo.
By having a department in the Education division that is focused entirely on providing technical
and vocational education, Don Bosco can provide the necessary focus that TVET needs to grow
and be self-sustaining. By being separated from the more affluent elementary and high school
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 122
students, the TVET Center can cater to the students it was designed to serve- the poor and out-of-
school youth.
The TVET Center also has the necessary organization to run as an autonomous unit, apart
from the functions of finance and student services lodged with Don Bosco Technical Institute.
Figure 22 shows the organization of the TVET Center. Fr. Dindo clarified that the TVET Center
can make the decisions on memorandum of agreements, budgets, and resource allocations, which
are essential to companies and donors as they only need to deal with the TVET Center for the
implementation of their agreements. Having a separate, autonomous unit focused on developing
the TVET programs is a discovered asset for Don Bosco.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 123

Figure 22. Don Bosco Technical Institute of Makati, INC., TVET Center Organizational Chart

TECHNICAL
DIRECTOR
ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR
SHOP HEADS
TRAINERS /
TEACHERS
SHOP
ASSISTANTS
TOOLKEEPER
STUDENT
ACTIVITIES
COORDINATOR
TVET
ASSISTANT
COMPETENCY
ASSESSMENT
ASSISTANT
EXTERNAL
RELATIONS
OFFICER
JOB
PLACEMENT
ASSISTANT
SCHOLARSHIP
ASSISTANT
MANAGEMENT
TEAM
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 124
Fully-engaged Partners
Another discovered asset of Don Bosco is that they have partners who are fully engaged
in the whole process of the training from enrollment to employment. They are involved in the
provision of scholarships for those financially in need, to collaboration with the school on
curriculum and instruction, to OJT placements, and then finally to employment. They partner
with Don Bosco with the aim of participating in the development of the student from the very
start, so that when the students graduate they would be ready for employment. Examples of
partners who are fully engaged from enrollment to employment are Toyota, PTRCA, Holcim,
Al-Futtaim, and Carrier Air-conditioning.
The partnership with PTRCA is a model that may be emulated. According to shop head
Lawrence, the shop head for the PTRCA program, PTRCA provides scholarships to 40 to 60
students every cohort with the goal of hiring these students upon graduation as mechatronics
technicians in any of Porsche’s service centers. These students are pre-selected from the batch of
students who have successfully passed the admissions process at Don Bosco. Porsche is involved
in developing the curriculum for the program, and in fact uses a specialized PTRCA curriculum
for the second year of the training. During the second year of the training, it is Porsche’s trainers
who conduct the training. PTRCA provides the facilities that are needed in the training, and also
sends Don Bosco faculty for specific brand training. Students do practical work in Porsche
service centers as OJT trainees, and those who successfully complete the program are hired in
any of Porsche’s dealers worldwide.
This kind of partnership with PTRCA is replicated in some ways with their other partners
mentioned above. Having fully-engaged partners is a discovered asset of Don Bosco.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 125
Summary of Organizational Findings
There were five organizational influences that were investigated, two relating to national
and international standards, and three relating to culture. The two influences relating to standards
were discovered to be unrelated to the administration’s ability to secure partnerships. While Don
Bosco follows national standards, and the national standards are aligned with international
standards, these standards are subordinate to the needs of industry. As far as the partnerships are
concerned, it is the needs of industry that are more important and should be served. The
reputation of Don Bosco for producing graduates with excellent technical skills; the mission of
helping the underserved youth; and the administration’s ability to instill good values, attitudes,
and work ethic; are all validated to be assets to the organization.
There were important assets that were discovered in the course of the research, and these
are Don Bosco’ network of alumni, the separate and autonomous unit focused on TVET, fully-
engaged partners, and the leadership of Fr. Dindo.
Conclusion
There were a total of 33 assumed influences investigated, out of which 26 were validated
to be assets, two were partially validated, and six were discovered to be not assets to the
administration. However, five additional assets were discovered during the investigation. A total
of 33 knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets have enabled Don Bosco to achieve its
stakeholder goal of industry partnerships. The KMO assets could be clustered into six key areas
of the partnerships and these are 1.) partnership development; 2.) scholarships; 3.) curriculum
development; 4.) instructional Support; 5.) OJT; and 6.) graduates.
There are eight KMO assets related to partnership development; four assets on
scholarship; six assets on curriculum development; two on instructional support; four on OJT;
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 126
and five on graduates. There are three other assets on leadership, organization, and mission. The
assets are clustered according to these areas in Table 15. Chapter Five will then provide
solutions and ideas how these six key areas of industry partnerships may be developed by other
organizations seeking to establish TVET programs.
Table 15
Knowledge, Motivation, Organizational Assets of Don Bosco Clustered by Areas
Knowledge Motivation Organization
Partnership Development
The administration
understands the relationship
between partnerships and
employability of its
graduates
The administration is
confident in its ability to
build its partnerships
Fully engaged
partners
The administration knows
how to secure and
nurture partnerships with
industry and non-government
organizations
The administration feels
positive about its
partnerships with industry
and non-government
organizations

The administration knows
how to establish goals about
its partnerships and develop
strategies to achieve those
partnerships

The administration knows
how to monitor its
relationships with its partners

The administration
knows how to reflect on its
relationships with partners
and identify areas for
improvement

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 127
Table 15, continued
Knowledge Motivation Organization
Scholarships
The administration knows
how to secure funding
support for its scholarships
The administration values
scholarships and OJT
provided by its partners

The administration is
confident in its ability to
secure support from
partners for scholarships

The administration feels
positive about getting
support from industry for
scholarships

Curriculum
The administrations knows
the relationship between
integrating industry
requirements into the
curriculum and
employability of its
graduates
The administration values
the integration of industry
requirements into its
curriculum
Work Ethic, Values
& Attitude
The administration knows
how to integrate the skills
required by industry partners
into its curriculum
The administration feels
positive about the
integration of industry
requirements into its
curriculum

Instructional Delivery
The administration knows
how to collaborate with
industry in the development
of training equipment and
facilities
The administration values
collaboration with industry
on the development of
training equipment and
facilities

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 128
Table 15, continued
Knowledge Motivation Organization
OJT
The administration
understands the relationship
between OJT employability
of its graduates
The administration is
confident in its ability to
secure support from
partners for OJT

The administration knows
how to conduct OJT with
industry partners
The administration feels
positive about getting
support from industry OJT

Graduates
The administration knows
how to produce graduates
who possess skills that
matches the needs of its
industry partners
The administration
values its ability to supply
industry partners with
human resources who
possess the relevant skills
Reputation

The administration is
confident in its ability to
produce graduates who
have the skills needed by
industry
Network of alumni
in Industry

Don Bosco
Mission

Separate
Autonomous Unit
Innovative Leader

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 129
CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS, IMPLEMENTATION PLANS AND
EV ALUATION PLANS
Don Bosco is a high-performing school in TVET, having achieved 100% employability
for its graduates. A crucial feature in Don Bosco’s educational system that contributed to this
employability rate is the partnerships that the administration has built with industry and business
organizations. This study sought to answer the following research questions:
1. What knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets does the administration have
that allowed it to achieve its stakeholder goal of securing and developing over 100
partnerships with industry, which has been essential to the achievement of the
organization’s overall goal of employability?
2. What knowledge, motivational, and organizational assets may be developed by other
schools seeking to establish or expand its own technical-vocational programs?
Chapter Four answered the first question, validating the list of assumed knowledge, motivation,
and organizational influences that were posed at the beginning of the study, and identifying from
among these a list of assets validated by the research findings, as well as assets discovered
during the course of the study. Chapter Five seeks to propose recommendations to technical-
vocational schools that are planning to establish or expand its own school partnerships, in light of
the promising practices or assets that were found in Don Bosco
Assets that May be Adapted by Other Technical-Vocational Schools
The knowledge, motivation, and organizational assets of Don Bosco clustered around six
key aspects of the partnerships: partnership development, scholarships, curriculum development,
instructional support, OJT, and employment. Each of these aspects of the partnerships must be
addressed by any school wanting to establish or expand its partnerships.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 130
Partnership Development
“Linkage with Employment Is the Single Most Important Factor in Training Success”
(Johanson & Bonto, 2009, p.51). At Don Bosco, new partners are constantly being developed,
and this ability stems from the administration’s knowledge of partnership development, their
network of alumni, and the confidence they have developed through decades of partnering with
businesses. Don Bosco has established a reputation for producing graduates with the right
technical skills, and this reputation attracts industry to partner with them on the training and
development of skilled workers, further enhancing their ability to produce graduates with the
right skills.
Scholarships
In many countries, TVET by default caters to students from low-income families as
students from the more affluent families aspire for higher education degrees (Johanson & Bonto,
2009).
TVET has then been associated historically with those classes of society who have to
work for a living and who do not partake of the kind of education fit for the gentry, even
if the greatest experience and ability is required in order to practice an occupation
(Unesco- Unevoc, 2013, p. 93).
Because the market for TVET is low-income families, it is imperative that students be given
financial support to help defray the cost of education. Spreading the cost among stakeholders to
involve employers opens up more opportunities for the youth to enroll in TVET, and make
employers more invested in building the students’ skills and employing them when they graduate
(Mourshed et al., 2012). At Don Bosco, it has been their mission to provide training
opportunities to students from low-income families. Therefore, scholarship support from donors
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 131
and partner companies has been a central feature of its education system, to the extent that more
than 50% of its students are funded through scholarships. Four of the validated assets of the
administration cluster around the knowledge and motivation to secure scholarship support from
its partners.
Curriculum Development
Curriculum development involves both the identification and anticipation of labor market
skills needs, and the integration of these skills needs into the curriculum. Don Bosco is able to
identify the skills needs of industry through its close interaction with its partners, the OJT
feedback sessions with students, visits by company representatives to the school, immersions and
trainings of teachers and shop heads in the companies, and graduate tracer studies. The skills
needs identified through these activities are integrated into the program by updating the lesson
plans, offering additional modules to cover new competencies, or bundling different
government-approved programs into one offering. Employers could also influence curricula by
providing opportunities for teachers to visit and work in industries and businesses, lending
employees as teachers in the classrooms, and creating work experiences for students (Wang,
2012). Fr. Dindo expressed the view that industry is market driven, innovative, and always on-
the-go and that academe should keep pace and equally be market driven.
OJT/ Apprenticeships
On-the-job training (OJT), apprenticeships, or workplace training all mean the provision
of practical, hands-on training for students in the workplace. OJT is probably the most important
and direct link to employment that a student could have during his training. Employers
commonly report a lack of practical experience among graduates, but it is really only in the
workplace where students can gain this practical experience (Klosters, 2014). An OJT provides
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 132
students the opportunity to gain this practical experience and useful work-related skills (Klosters,
2014). OJT and apprenticeships is one of the most effective models of training that bridges the
transition from school to work. OJTs not only give the students practical, hands-on training, but
also builds the confidence of the employer in the potential worker (Wang, 2012). At Don Bosco,
OJTs are the stepping board of the students to employment. Don Bosco has four validated assets
in this area.
Instructional Support
Partnerships with industry offer an excellent opportunity for teacher development and
provision of training equipment. Industry- school partnerships provide access to the resources of
businesses that schools could not provide. These resources include industry-standard and even
brand-specific training equipment and expertise of personnel (Flynn et al., 2016). Shop heads of
Don Bosco mentioned that their faculty has regular opportunities to attend training programs
held by partner companies on new technologies and product offerings. Don Bosco has the latest
and industry-standard training equipment, fully paid for by partner companies. In Australia, the
Gateway Schools Network Program which partnered schools to various industries had teachers
saying they benefitted from an industry-specific contextualization of the science curriculum
(Flynn et al., 2016). Learning is enriched if employers engaged with schools in skills training.
Employment
The ultimate goal of school and industry partnerships is to produce graduates who
possess skills that are required by industry so that these graduates become highly employable. As
seen in Don Bosco’s experience, the collaboration between the school and industry in all aspects
of the training from scholarships to curriculum development, instructional support, and OJTs,
produce graduates who possess the right skills required by industry. Don Bosco’s graduates all
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 133
go on to be employed, with 90% of them hired by the companies where they do their OJTs.
Countries that maintain a dual apprenticeship system exhibits smoother school to work
transition, lower NEET rates, and lower youth unemployment rates (Biavaschi et al., 2012).
Good TVET education systems produce graduates who go on to enjoy high wages and good
prospects in the labor market (Cedefop, 2014), and Don Bosco’s education system indeed is one
of them.
A Partnership Framework
Don Bosco’s experience with partnerships points to a framework that can be used by
other schools as a guide. Partnerships can be thought of as having three phases: partnership
development, collaboration, and outcome. The first phase- partnership development, mainly
involves the work of the administration securing new alliances and renewing current ones. The
second phase of the partnership is the collaboration effort to deliver more relevant training. This
collaboration work includes: scholarships, curriculum development, instructional support, and
on-the-of job training. The third phase of the collaboration is the outcome itself- the graduates
who possess the skills needed by industry. These are all driven by the school leadership. The
diagram in Figure 21 depicts how all these elements come together.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 134

Figure 23. A School- Industry Partnership Framework
Don Bosco has several partners that assist the school in some form in any of these areas.
Some partners provide scholarship assistance to students, leaving the training of the students up
to the school. Some partners are involved only for OJT and possible employment later. Some
partners assist with instructional support, such as providing equipment for the hands-on training
of the students.
The more successful partnerships, however, are those involved along the entire breadth of
the training- scholarship; curriculum development; instructional support; and OJT. Companies
who are engaged in all four areas, and are involved deeply, are those companies which are best
able to maximize the talent that comes out of the training. In the case of Don Bosco, companies
such as Porsche, Holcim, Ford, Toyota, Bosch are the companies who benefit from a well-trained
graduate and thus secure a pipeline for their workforce needs. They benefit from higher
productivity as a result of a better-trained workforce. It is not so much the quantity of the
partnerships that matter, but the quality of the tie-ups that matter. Fr. Dindo expressed his
thoughts on this.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 135
There are companies whom we call our premium partners because they put a lot on the
table. They invest a lot. They give scholarships, train our teachers, and donate equipment.
These are the partners we prioritize.
Recommendations and Strategies
The recommendations presented herein discusses how schools aspiring to establish
industry partnerships may realize each of the elements of the framework in Figure 20. Each
strategy includes an implementation plan and an evaluation plan. The evaluation plans are based
on the four levels of evaluation recommended by Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006): reaction,
learning, behavior, and impact. The first level of evaluation measures the reaction of participants
or stakeholders to the program. It is a measure of customer satisfaction. The second level
measures the learning that participants gain from a program as shown by a change in attitude, or
improvements in knowledge and skill. The third level measures changes in behavior as a result of
the intervention or program. The fourth level of evaluation is the impact or the results of the
intervention measured in terms of concrete indicators such as improved quality, higher revenues,
reduced costs, better profits, and higher productivity (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006).
The strategies proposed are:

1. Organize a unit that is focused only on the provision of technical and vocational
programs- a TVET center;
2. Develop industry-specific or location-specific programs and build the relevant
partnerships;
3. Establish scholarship programs that can be funded by partners and other organizations;
4. Formulate industry-relevant curricula and a mechanism to respond to the changing
requirements of industry;
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 136
5. Identify areas of development for training equipment and teacher capacities;
6. Design on-the-job training programs that rotate students through the relevant areas of
operation in the company and that furnishes students with the applicable skills;
Each of these strategies will be discussed in the following sections, together with an
implementation plan and an evaluation plan.
Organize a Unit Focused on the Provision of Technical- Vocational Programs
Don Bosco's strength is that it has a unit that is focused entirely on the provision of
technical- vocational programs. This unit can devote time and attention to the development of the
programs, the partnerships, and the students. It can make decisions on goals, strategies, budget
allocations, and partnership agreements without being encumbered by bureaucratic requirements.
The leadership of the unit is also able to make commitments to the partners so that partners need
only to deal with its leadership. A group with the same level of responsibility and autonomy
would be essential to the growth and development of the technical and vocational programs.
Implementation plan. To set up a new unit focused solely on technical-vocational
programs, an assessment must be made of the current organization, and an organizational plan
designed based on the assessment. The organizational plan must include the key deliverables of
the unit, the authority levels of its leaders, and the organizational structure. Moreover, the
reporting relationships to the parent organization must also be defined. It may be necessary to
secure approvals from a higher management body on this, such as the board of trustees.
When the necessary approvals are secured, then hiring should commence. The TVET
head should be appointed, followed by the key leaders in the organization so that all initial work
can already be carried out and decisions made by the management team. Assuming there is no
physical facilities and permits yet, other vital tasks such as the construction of the physical
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 137
facilities and acquisition of the necessary permits to offer the programs should begin. Table 16
shows the timeline for creating the separate TVET unit.
Table 16
Implementation Plan for Organizing a Unit Focused on TVET
Action
Responsible
Person
Timeframe
Establish the organizational plan for the TVET unit
including responsibilities and authority levels
Project Head
0 to 6th
month
Identify relationship of the TVET unit to the rest of
the organization
Project Head
0 to 6th
month
Secure approval from the board for the organizational
plan
Management
Team
7th to 8th
month
Hire officers, teachers, and personnel needed
TVET Head/
Human
Resources
Department
8th to 12th
month
Define and set-up facilities requirements for offices,
classrooms, and laboratories
TVET Head/
Human
Resources
Department
8th to 20th
month
Secure approval from Government Regulatory Body
for the offering of the programs
TVET Head/
Government
Liaison
8th to 20th
month
Start offering programs TVET Unit 21st month

Evaluation Plan. The creation of a separate unit to focus on technical- vocational programs
should elicit the following behaviors: faster decision-making, responsiveness to opportunities,
and responsibility for the financial well-being of the group. As the management team builds the
program offering and industry partnerships, decisions on crucial tasks and any opportunities that
may arise are done faster. A deeper understanding of the business ensues with the focus and
attention of the team. Budgetary decisions and accountability rest entirely on the leaders of the
unit.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 138
The overall impact desired from the recommendation to establish a separate unit is for the
time-to-market, or the time from planning and conceptualization of new programs to execution,
to be shorter. It is also intended to produce better quality training programs. Lastly, the
educational and business objectives such as enrollment and profitability should be achieved. The
evaluation plan is shown in Table 17.
Table 17
Evaluation Plan for Organizing a Separate Unit for TVET

Intervention
proposed
(Level 1)-
Reaction
(Level 2)-
Learning
(Level 3)-
Behavior
(Level 4)- Impact
Create a separate
TVET unit that is
focused on
developing and
offering technical
and vocational
programs

Focus on
developing
technical and
vocational
programs separate
from tertiary and
k-12 education
Time to market-
speed of
conceptualization
of programs to
implementation

Autonomy and
freedom to decide
on matters relating
to vocational
education
Quality of
educational and
training
programs

Administration
responsible for
handling its own
operating and
capital expenditure
budget, and profit
and loss
Profitability of
unit
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 139
Develop Industry-Specific Partnerships
Don Bosco focuses on critical industries and developed the best programs that would
serve those industries. It is the top provider now of skills in the automotive service sector in the
country. It has focused its programs also on servicing the refrigeration and air-conditioning
industry, and the shipping business. Aspiring TVET providers may focus on other sectors which
have a significant need for skilled human resources such as tourism, information technology such
as animation and coding, business process outsourcing in the fields of engineering and
accountancy, and construction.
Factors to consider in selecting the industry are:
1. Size of the workforce requirement of the industry;
2. The projected increase in the workforce;
3. Size and growth of the industry in revenues;
4. Strategic fit with the school;
5. The location of the companies from the school;
6. How the current workforce demands are supplied
Implementation Plan. The initial efforts to look for partner companies should be made by the
leadership of the organization so that opportunities may be responded to and decided quickly.
Selection of the industry is crucial as this will determine the direction of the programs to be
offered. The benefits to the stakeholders achieved by collaboration must be communicated to
prospective partners. Once the industry is selected, partner companies may be identified and
approached. It is essential to get employers on-board during the design of the programs so that
the inputs of the industry are considered at the onset. A new school may lack the level of
reputation and track record that Don Bosco had and so more effort must be exerted on the work
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 140
of approaching partners. Over time, as the school gains more experience and reputation, it is
expected that partnership development will be an easier task. Schools may also consider
partnering at the industry level through business and professional organizations or trade
associations. The implementation timeline is shown in Table 18.
Table 18
Implementation Plan for Developing Industry-specific Partnerships
Action
Responsible
Person
Timeframe
Identify industries that have needs for skilled
personnel based on chosen criteria
TVET Head
0 to 3rd
month
Study the industry requirements- read articles,
talk with people in the industry

Work with industry associations, especially
those with industry-academe collaboration
programs

Find companies in the identified industries who may
be willing to partner with the school

3rd to 6th
month
Present a partnership proposal with the potential
partner companies
TVET Head
7th to 9th
months
Quantify industry benefits: improved
workforce skills, lower training costs, higher
productivity, enhanced competitiveness

School Benefits: more relevant training, higher
enrollments

Student benefits: higher employability

Draft partnership agreement detailing the
responsibilities of the parties to the agreement
TVET Head
9th to 12th
months
Secure initial agreements with partner companies School Head
9th to 24th
months

Evaluation plan. To evaluate whether industry partners are receptive to the proposal of
collaborating on offering technical-vocational programs, a survey of prospective partners to
determine their need, interest, and attitude may be conducted. Behavioral indicators are
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 141
industry's involvement in shaping the partnership, or the support they commit to the program.
The impact of this initiative will be evident when the TVET center provides the skills industry
needs and when graduates are hired by the companies to fulfill their workforce requirements.
Table 19
Evaluation Plan for Developing Industry-specific Partnerships
Intervention
proposed
(Level 1)-
Reaction
(Level 2)-
Learning
(Level 3)-
Behavior
(Level 4)-
Impact
Develop industry-
specific partnerships
Employer
satisfaction
survey

Industry provides
full support to the
TVET Center
The TVET
Center produces
skilled graduates
that are
immediately
employed by the
industry
(i.e. Tourism,
Information
Technology,
Construction,
Shipping, Building
Maintenance, Solar
Power Installation
and maintenance)
Student
satisfaction
survey

Industry provide
scholarship
support to students
The TVET
Center is able to
secure funding
support from
potential
employers for
the enrollment of
its students
Initial
participation
of employers,
students, and
community

Industry engage in
the training of the
students
The TVET
Center fulfills
the labor
requirements of
the selected
industries

Students persists in
their studies
Students enroll
in the programs
of the TVET
Center

Students are
motivated by the
prospect of
employment

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 142
Establish Scholarship Programs Funded by Partners and Donors
Employers need to realize that when they participate in the costs of the education and
training of the youth, their investments in training come back to them in the form of a more
productive workforce. As one Siemens executive stated, “people ask us why we invest so much
in developing the skills of our people. I asked them instead, how much would it cost not to have
skilled workers?” (Mourshed et al., 2012, p. 65). Investment in the scholarships or financial
support for students is a necessary outlay in the quest for a more productive workforce.
Implementation Plan. To establish scholarship programs, the operating cost per student should
be determined. The operating cost per student will determine how much tuition and fees per
student must be charged, which in turn will guide the amounts and types of scholarships that
industry partners may support. The scholarship support that will be solicited from industry
partners must be presented as an investment by the sponsoring company, and the benefits of
higher productivity and better efficiencies should be quantified and presented against the
investment. A return on investment measure can be calculated to illustrate what the benefit to the
company will be. The school and sponsors may also consider study-now-pay-later schemes since
the objective is for the student to be employed by the sponsors, at which time the graduate will
already have the capacity to pay the student loans. The implementation timeline is shown in
Table 20.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 143
Table 20
Implementation Plan to Establish and Fund Scholarship Programs
Action
Responsible
Person
Timeframe
Package full or partial scholarship programs
TVET Head/
Finance Head
0- 12th month
Establish operating costs per student and tuition and
fees for each program
Finance Head 0- 12th month
Package scholarships to industry as an investment for
a skilled workforce, an employee development
program
TVET Head/
Admissions
0- 24th month
Offer study-now-pay later schemes where education is
funded by the company but the student pays later
when already employed with the company
Finance Head Continuous

Evaluation plan. To assess whether this intervention gains traction among employers,
the reaction to watch for is their willingness to participate as exhibited by pledges or
commitment letters. If the interest is there, the school should see that employers are actively
involved in designing the scholarship programs, providing inputs that would address their needs.
The behavior desired would be for the sponsors to sign and commit to the scholarship
agreements. The ultimate impact to be observed from this intervention is that students, especially
those from low-income families, enroll and graduate from the skills training program, and
eventually gain employment. The scholarship should also be continuing and sustainable over the
long-term.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 144
Table 21
Evaluation Plan to Establish and Fund Scholarship Programs
Intervention
proposed
(Level 1)-
Reaction
(Level 2)-
Learning
(Level 3)-
Behavior
(Level 4)-
Impact
Establish and
fund
scholarship
programs
Submission of
pledges by
potential
donors
Industry
participates in
designing
scholarships
Students from
low-income
families enroll
and complete
the programs

Donors sign
long-term
scholarship
agreements
Students gain
employment
Donors provide
funds for the
scholarships
Families of
students are
lifted from
poverty

Develop Industry Relevant Curricula and a Mechanism to Respond to Changing
Requirements

The best way to have a curriculum that achieves the desired educational outcomes and
delivers employer requirements is for the industry and academe to collaborate intensively to
define the competencies required (Mourshed et al., 2012). Regular conversations around skills
needs will help identify the competencies required, which may be captured and integrated into
the curricula. Although industry may not be able to predict future skills requirements, industry
knows best which skills they need and which are difficult to find in the labor market (Johanson
& Bonto, 2009).
Implementation plan. Opportunities for the industry and academe to get together to
define the competencies may be initiated such as through an industry-academe workshop or a
coffee or breakfast meeting held on a regular basis. Additionally, information may be generated
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 145
on labor market demand and supply through surveys of the labor force and surveys of
establishments. Graduate tracer studies are needed to determine the degree of absorption of the
graduates into the labor market (Johanson & Bonto, 2009). Interviews with graduates can
identify how their skills match up with the needs of the industry and will provide precious
information on what the actual work requirements are. Once the required competencies are
defined and listed in sufficient detail, these may then be incorporated into the curricula, the
learning modules, and lesson materials so that these are delivered in the classrooms.
Table 22
Implementation Plan for Developing Industry Relevant Curricula
Action
Responsible
Person
Timeframe
Hold industry- academe workshops to determine
skills requirements of industry
TVET Head/
Shop Heads
Continuous
Conduct regular labor market surveys and graduate
tracer studies to identify industry needs
Shop Heads
12th- 24th
month
Repackage or reorganize government-mandated
curricula to address the needs of the industry
Shop Heads Continuous
Host regular coffee or breakfast sessions with
industry to talk about changing requirements
TVET Head/
Shop Heads/
Partners
Continuous

Evaluation plan. Surveys and interviews with employers and students may be conducted
to assess their reaction to curricula. The curricula may be shown to the industry partners to know
how satisfied they are with the changes in the curricula. Surveys with students may also be done
to determine if they understood and appreciated the changes made. Differences in learning could
be identified through the tests given by the teachers, and changes in behavior determined through
a hands-on demonstration of the skills learned. Additionally, students doing their on-the-job
training should be able to demonstrate their proficiencies in the actual workplace. The ultimate
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 146
impact of this intervention should be that the skills acquired by the graduates match those that
are needed by industry, thereby leading to employment. Employability could be measured
through graduate tracer studies.
Table 23
Evaluation Plan for Developing Industry Relevant Curricula
Intervention
proposed
(Level 1)-
Reaction
(Level 2)-
Learning
(Level 3)-
Behavior
(Level 4)-
Impact
TVET Center and
industry to jointly
develop a curricula
that would address
industry needs, and
update this on a
regular basis
Industry are
satisfied with
the curricula
as indicated
by surveys/
interviews
Tests/
examinations
conducted by
the teachers
Skills
demonstration by
the students of the
competencies
learned
Relevance to
industry of the
skills learned

Faculty &
Students are
satisfied with
the curricula
as indicated
by surveys

Demonstration of
ability to perform
work-specific tasks
in the workplace
Labor Market
Analysis to
determine
whether the
skills supplied
matches the
needs of the
industry
Graduate
destination/
tracer studies

Support for Training Equipment and Development of Teacher Capacities
Two areas that industry partners can easily support is the provision of training equipment
and development of teacher capacities. Companies would have access to the latest technologies
that are being used by the industry and therefore know which equipment is needed for training.
They have the best knowledge of the latest tools and testing equipment, and will even have an
appreciation of which brands or models are appropriate. Companies usually have replacement
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 147
programs, and it would not cost anything for the companies to donate the replaced equipment for
training, especially if it is still relevant and useful. Industry partners usually conduct training
programs for employees which teachers could join. Training teachers would not cost any
additional amounts for the companies, as the teachers will only be occupying vacant seats in an
already scheduled training program. As a shop head of Don Bosco said, the training programs
that they can attend are numerous, and they only need to make themselves available.
Implementation plan. The need for training equipment and teacher training should
follow what is required by the curriculum and the syllabus jointly designed by the industry and
the school. The learning objectives for the students should guide it. Even during the design of the
curriculum, the specific training equipment that is needed and the types of teacher training could
already be identified and included in the budget. The company and the school may consider
longer-term immersion programs such as six months so that the faculty could have a deeper
understanding of the work expected of the students and the environment in which that work is
carried out. Cross-posting may also be considered, wherein a faculty is made to work in the
industry say for a period of one or two years, but on the other hand, an industry expert is also
made to teach in the school for the same period.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 148
Table 24
Implementation Plan for Support for Training Equipment and Teacher Capacities.
Action
Responsible
Person
Timeframe
Identify training equipment requirements and faculty
training needs based on curricula
Shop Heads Continuous
Work out with partner companies what equipment and
training they can provide
Shop Heads
0-24th month
Run longer-term (6 months) immersion for faculty
TVET Head
Continuous
Consider cross-posting, industry experts to teach and
faculty to work
TVET Head/
Shop Heads
Continuous

Evaluation plan. To determine whether this intervention is achieving its desired effect,
teachers should be able to relate what they are teaching in the classroom to the actual conditions
in the workplace. Teachers will have a better understanding of their lessons either because of
their immersion in the industry or because it is the supervisors in the industry who are teaching
in the classroom under a cross-posting arrangement. Better learning could be assessed through
student surveys or interviews, or by an observation of the classroom by the supervisor or the
shop head. Teachers should also gain a clearer understanding of the competencies that students
need to learn.
On the part of the students, having the right equipment in school will give students the
opportunities to demonstrate hands-on the skills they have learned. They should be able to
acquire and demonstrate the competencies that are needed by industry, and this could be
evaluated through their regular assessments, especially the end-of-the-term examinations to
obtain the government-recognized certifications.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 149
Table 25
Evaluation Plan for Support for Training Equipment and Teacher Capacities.
Intervention
proposed
(Level 1)-
Reaction
(Level 2)-
Learning
(Level 3)-
Behavior
(Level 4)-
Impact
Development
of instructional
support to
include training
equipment and
teacher
capacities
Students learn
and enjoy
classes
Teachers relate
concepts to
actual
experience
More effective
learning for the
students
Teachers
engage students

Teachers have
better
understanding
of skills and
technologies
Students
acquire relevant
skills
Hands-on
learning by the
students

Enrich the On-the-Job Training (OJT) experience
One thing is clear with apprenticeship or OJT programs- the more time the students spend
in the workplace, the more hands-on experience they gain (Mourshed et al., 2012). At Don
Bosco, OJT is 960 hours, requiring the students to work full-time for six days a week, for five
months. The OJT period gives ample time for the companies to assess whether the students are
capable of the job upon graduation. The OJT phase usually leads to employment for the trainee.
OJT is crucial to the employability of the trainee, as the close interaction with the industry
supervisors for a full five months is the trainee’s best chance to demonstrate their skills and
attitudes to potential employers.
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 150
Implementation plan. The on-the-job training can be enriched with an OJT syllabus,
which both the school and industry can define. The OJT syllabus should spell out the learning
objectives of the OJT, the activities, the areas where students are to be rotated, and the number of
hours students are to spend per area. The OJT syllabus ensures that the trainees maximize the
hours in the workplace. An e-portfolio site may be used where students write about their
experiences and their reflections about the training, supplemented with pictures of their activities
in the workplace. This e-portfolio site can be used by the teacher or adviser to monitor the
progress of the student, and also to interact electronically with the student.
Table 26
Implementation Plan for Enriching the OJT Experience
Action
Responsible
Person
Timeframe
School and industry partner must
ensure that there is sufficient learning
experience in the workplace. This can
be defined in an OJT syllabus.
TVET Head/
Shop Heads/
Industry
Continuous
OJT must be conducted over a
minimum period of six months
TVET Head 0-12th month
Consider the German model of dual
training, where the training is
switched between the classroom and
the workplace throughout the training
TVET Head/
Shop Heads
0-24th month
Hold regular feedback sessions with the OJT students Shop Heads Continuous
Use e-portfolio sites to let students
post write-ups and photos of their
OJT experiences
Shop Heads Continuous

Evaluation plan. The reaction that this intervention should elicit are 1.) that the teachers
and company representatives work together to prepare the OJT syllabus, and 2.) that the students
perform the tasks that are spelled out in the program. The desired reaction can be assessed
through OJT feedback sessions or the e-portfolios. At the level of learning, students should be
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 151
able to perform better with a clearer and shared understanding among all the parties of the OJT-
the students, teachers, and industry supervisors. At the level of behavior, the OJT syllabus should
be followed by all parties, and the students should be able to demonstrate the skills and
competencies defined in the program. Ultimately, this intervention should result in better
preparation for the student, so that the company hires this student upon completion of the
program.
Table 27
Evaluation Plan for Enriching the OJT Experience
Intervention
proposed
(Level 1)-
Reaction
(Level 2)-
Learning
(Level 3)-
Behavior
(Level 4)-
Impact
Enriching the OJT
experience
Observation of
students doing
OJT and
performing the
tasks as required
in the syllabus
Assessments
by the
teachers of
the student's
progress
OJT syllabus is
implemented in
the workplace
Students should
be ready for
work by the end
of the OJT
TVET Center
teachers and
company
representatives
jointly develop
the OJT syllabus
Evaluation of
the student's
progress by a
company
representative
assigned as
training
supervisor
Demonstration of
ability to perform
goal- directed,
work-specific
tasks in the
workplace
Graduates are
employed by
the companies
where students
did their OJTs

Regular
feedback
from the
student

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 152
Future Research
This research looked into school- industry partnerships from the point of view of the
school administration. It was an initial effort at understanding how these partnerships could help
enrich the learning experience of students and assist in developing workers with the skills
required by industry. What could help shed more light on these partnerships is to look at how
these are viewed by the industry partners themselves- what knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences drives businesses and employers to collaborate with schools in the
training and development of potential workers. The partnerships can also be viewed from the
lens of the students; how do school-industry partnerships benefit the students, and what
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences could make learning more relevant and
enriching for the students. Literature also suggests that school-industry partnerships can be
viewed from the macro level of school systems, industry organizations and associations, and
government, rather than the micro level of individual schools and employers. Ultimately, what
needs to be done is to scale up promising practices in TVET education so that more students and
more industries could benefit to hopefully raise employment at a national scale.
Conclusion
Don Bosco has 33 knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) assets that
enables it to achieve its stakeholder goal of industry partnerships, which translate to 100%
employability among its graduates. These KMO assets cluster around six key areas of industry
partnerships: development, scholarships, curriculum development, instructional support, on-the-
job training, and leadership. The work the leadership of Don Bosco has done to develop these
key areas result in graduates who possess the relevant skills needed by industry, and therefore a
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 153
high rate of employability. These are the reasons why Don Bosco is an exemplary TVET
organization and is worth emulating.
The global problems that this study attempted to address are the twin problems of
unemployment and skills mismatch. There were a total of 71 million unemployed youth in 2016,
representing an unemployment rate of 13.1%, and this continues to grow (ILO, 2016). The irony
of it is that employers complain of jobs not being filled-up because of skills mismatch, with
almost 40% of employers saying that a lack of the relevant skills was the main reason for entry-
level vacancies (Mourshed et al., 2012).
The education system that Don Bosco has employed in its TVET education has proven
that skills mismatch can be addressed if the school leadership and employers got together and
stepped into each other’s worlds. Because all stakeholders bore the cost of education (the school,
the students, and the employers), students from low-income backgrounds were able to benefit the
most from Don Bosco’s offering. Over the years, lives have been transformed by the work done
by the leadership of Don Bosco; true to its mission.
Learning from the Don Bosco experience, the framework in Figure 20 serves as a guide
for other schools and organizations desiring to achieve some of the successes of Don Bosco. This
framework is a result of hundreds of hours of investigation into what Don Bosco does best.
There are several key areas that must be addressed, namely partnership development,
scholarships, curriculum development, instructional support, and on-the-job training. With the
right leadership, this must translate to the desired student outcomes. The implementation and
evaluation plan presented in this chapter details what exactly one must do to at least achieve
some of the successes that the Don Bosco model offers. Organizations may not be able to
replicate everything, but at least this framework serves as a guide for others. Technical
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 154
Vocational education has vast potential to unleash the talent and energy of the youth. With this
research, it is hoped that organizations venturing into this field are properly guided.

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 155
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DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 166
APPENDIX A
Interview Protocol
The following interview questions guided the semi-structured interview with members of
the management team to validate the assumed influences of the Center.
Interview questions for all (Technical Director, External Relations Officer, Assistant
Director, Spiritual Director, Student Activities Coordinator, Shop Heads, and the
Assistants):

1. How does being part of the Don Bosco system affect your programs?
2. How does the Salesian philosophy of serving the poor influence your programs?
3. How does Don Bosco instill work ethic among its graduates?
Interview questions for Technical Director, External Relations Officer, Assistant Director,
Shop Heads, and one or more of the Assistants:

1. What are the current skills required by industry? What are the future skills requirements
of industry?
2. What are national and international standards for TVET education? What are your
sources for these standards?
3. How do you identify the skill requirements by your industry partners?
4. How do you integrate the required skills into your curriculum?
5. How do you solicit placements for workplace training from your industry partners?
6. How do you produce graduates who possess skills that matches the needs of industry?
7. How do you nurture your relationships with partners?
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 167
8. How do you conduct workplace training?
9. How do your partnerships affect the employability of your graduates?
10. How does workplace training make your graduates more employable?
11. How does integrating industry requirements into the curriculum affect employability of
your graduates?
12. How do you feel about your partnerships?
13. How do you feel about the support that you get from your partners for scholarships and
supervised workplace training?
14. How do you feel about the integration of industry requirements into the curriculum?
15. Describe your confidence in integrating industry requirements into your curriculum
16. Describe your confidence in securing support from partners for scholarships and
supervised workplace training
17. Describe your confidence in producing graduates who have the right skills required by
industry
18. Do you think integrating industry requirements into the curriculum is important? Why?
19. Do your industry partners provide feedback about the trainee’s development during the
supervised workplace training? How do you use these feedback?
20. What is the value of scholarships provided by your partners?
21. How much did your partners contribute to the development of your facilities? How much
do you expect them to contribute in the future?
22. What is the value provided by supervised workplace training?
23. How would you rate your reputation for producing graduates who possess skills that
match industry requirements? What are the evidences of this reputation?
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 168
24. To what extent are your training standards compliant with national government
standards? international standards?
25. Are your programs aligned with the Philippine Qualifications Reference Framework?
Interview Questions for the Technical Director, External Relations Officer, and the
Assistant Director only:

1. What are your criteria for selecting partners?
2. How extensive are your networks with businesses, industry, and non-government
organizations?
3. Do you establish goals regarding your partnerships?
4. Tell me how you develop your strategies to achieve your goals on partnerships
5. How do you monitor your relationships with partners?
6. How do you know when there are areas for improvement in your relationships with
partners?
7. Describe your confidence in building industry partners
8. How valuable is your ability to supply your partners with skilled manpower?
9. What prompted you to enter into partnerships? How valuable are your partnerships?
10. How much time, effort, and money do you put into forging a partnership?
11. How do you go about securing partnerships?

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 169
APPENDIX B
Survey Instrument
This survey was conducted to evaluate what role industry partnerships have towards the
development of the skills and knowledge of technical-vocational students, and their
employability in industry/ businesses. This survey also sought to evaluate how Don Bosco TVET
Center used industry partnerships to become a promising practice in technical-vocational
education.
Name of Employee Position Years in position

Other positions held: Inclusive Dates

1. How valuable are the partnerships established by the school with industry to the
employability of your graduates?
 Not valuable  Somewhat
valuable
 Valuable  Very valuable
2. How valuable is the work of integrating industry requirements into the curriculum to the
employability of your graduates?
 Not valuable  Somewhat
valuable
 Valuable  Very valuable
3. How valuable is workplace training to the employability of your graduates?
 Not valuable  Somewhat
valuable
 Valuable  Very valuable
4. How confident are you in establishing partnerships with industry?
 Not confident  Somewhat
confident
 Confident  Very confident
5. How confident are you in integrating industry requirements into the curriculum?
 Not confident  Somewhat
confident
 Confident  Very confident
DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 170
6. How confident are you about conducting workplace training?
 Not confident  Somewhat
confident
 Confident  Very confident
7. Our industry partners have contributed greatly to the employability of our graduates
 Do not agree  Somewhat agree  Agree  Highly agree
8. Integrating industry requirements into the curriculum is essential to the employability of our
graduates
 Do not agree  Somewhat agree  Agree  Highly agree
9. Workplace training is essential to the employability of our graduates
 Do not agree  Somewhat agree  Agree  Highly agree
10. Overall, industry partnerships is indispensable to our technical-vocational training programs
 Do not agree  Somewhat agree  Agree  Highly agree
11. Comments:
[Add your comments here.]
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback is valued and
very much appreciated!

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 171
APPENDIX C
Observations
The following activities/ sites were observed to provide more context to the data gathered
from interviews and document analysis.
1 Observe how skills are taught in the classrooms and laboratory
2 Observe actual set-up of training equipment and facilities in the school

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 172
APPENDIX D
Document Analysis
The following documents were analyzed to provide more insights into the assumed
influences and corroborate the findings from the interviews.

List of Documents Analyzed
1 Memorandum of Understanding/ Agreements with industry
2 Scholarship agreements
3 On-the-job training agreements
4 Curricula/ Syllabi of the Center
5 Documents regarding the Salesian philosophy
6 Awards
7 Philippine Qualifications Reference Framework
8 Standard curricula of the government
9 TVET national and international standards
10 Profile of partners from web pages and annual reports
11 Department of Labor and Employment reports
12 List and amount of scholarships given for the past 5 years
13 On-the-job training reports
14 Employment Reports past 5 years
15 Reports about partnerships

DON BOSCO: A PROMISING PRACTICE IN TVET 173
APPENDIX E
Listing of Developed, Emerging, and Developing Countries

Andorra Cyprus Italy Qatar
Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Czech Republic Denmark Japan Saint Kitts and Nevis San Marino
Australia Estonia Korea, Republic of Kuwait Saudi Arabia Seychelles
Austria Finland Latvia Singapore
Bahamas France Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Slovakia
Bahrain French Polynesia Germany Malta Slovenia
Barbados Greece Monaco Spain
Belgium Guam
Netherlands Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia Sweden
Brunei Darussalam Canada Hong Kong, China Hungary New Zealand Switzerland
Channel Islands Chile Iceland Norway
Croatia Ireland Oman Taiwan, China
Israel Poland
Trinidad and Tobago United Arab
Emirates United Kingdom
Portugal United States
Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands Uruguay
Albania Egypt Macedonia, the former Saint Vincent and
Algeria El Salvador Yugoslav Republic of Malaysia the Grenadines Samoa
Angola Equatorial Guinea Maldives Sao Tome and Principe Serbia
Armenia Fiji Marshall Islands Mauritania Solomon Islands
Azerbaijan Gabon Mauritius South Africa
Bangladesh Georgia Mexico Sri Lanka
Belarus Ghana Micronesia, Federated Sudan
Belize Grenada Moldova, Republic of Mongolia Suriname
Bhutan Guatemala Montenegro Swaziland
Bolivia, Plurinational State of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Guyana
Morocco Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan
Honduras Myanmar Thailand
Brazil India Namibia Timor-Leste
Bulgaria Indonesia Nauru Tonga
Cabo Verde Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Nicaragua Tunisia
Cambodia Jamaica Nigeria Turkey
Cameroon Jordan
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Pakistan Turkmenistan
China Kazakhstan Palau Tuvalu
Colombia Kenya Panama Ukraine
Congo Kiribati Papua New Guinea Paraguay Uzbekistan
Cook Islands Kyrgyzstan Peru Vanuatu
Costa Rica Lao People’s Philippines Venezuela, Bolivarian
Co ̂ te d’Ivoire Democratic Republic Romania Republic of Viet Nam
Cuba Lebanon Russian Federation Western Sahara Yemen
Djibouti Lesotho Saint Lucia Zambia
Dominica Libya
Dominican Republic Ecuador
Afghanistan Republic of the Eritrea Republic of Liberia
Benin Ethiopia Madagascar Malawi
Burkina Faso The Gambia Mali Mozambique Nepal
Burundi Guinea Niger
Central African Republic Chad Guinea-Bissau Rwanda
Comoros Haiti Senegal
Congo, Democratic Korea, Democratic People’s Sierra Leone
Somalia
Tanzania, United Republic of Togo
Uganda Zimbabwe
Listing of developing countries (ILO,2017)
(low income)
Listing of developed countries (ILO, 2017)
(high income)
Listing of Emerging countries (ILO,2017)
(middle income)

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Asset Metadata

Creator Reyes, Raymundo Pascua (author)

Core Title Leading the country in TVET: Don Bosco Technical Vocational Education and Training Center

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Global Executive

Publication Date 08/10/2018

Defense Date 07/16/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag industry partnerships,OAI-PMH Harvest,Philippine education,promising practice,skills training,technical and vocational education and training

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Datta, Monique (committee chair), Chung, Ruth (committee member), Tambascia, Tracy Poon (committee member)

Creator Email raymunpr@usc.edu,rpreyes@phinma.edu.ph

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-66130

Unique identifier UC11672498

Identifier etd-ReyesRaymu-6723.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-66130 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ReyesRaymu-6723.pdf

Dmrecord 66130

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Reyes, Raymundo Pascua

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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