Why The Ict Strand Of The Tvl Track Is A Good Option For Students
Since the implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum in 2013, Filipino students have enjoyed a more comprehensive secondary educational program. It not only aims to cover the gaps left behind by the previous system, but also seeks to provide students with technical and vocational skills that can help them earn a livelihood even without a college degree.
The Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track, or TVL, is a great option for students who are looking to enter the workforce as soon as possible. One of the most useful strands within this track is the Information and Communication Technology, or ICT, strand. This strand prioritizes building expertise in information and communication technology, allowing students an opportunity to pursue higher degrees in computer science, Information System, Information Technology and other technology service-oriented fields of study in a tertiary institution.
But is the TVL track with ICT strand really that beneficial? The short answer is: yes.
Here's why.
Technical Expertise
The main concept behind the ICT strand is to provide senior high school students with a curriculum that is geared towards creating a foundation for information and communication technology expertise. Although most high schools in the Philippines offer computer classes, these classes are often designed to provide students with only the most basic computer skills and concepts.
With the ICT, students can delve further into the inner workings of information and communication technology, how it works, how to code, and how the relationship between information technology and the public is intertwined in the 21st century.
Beyond providing basic computer and digital literacy, the ICT strand of the TVL track aims to help students find technical work straight out of senior high school. While a college or university degree is ideal, the reality is that tertiary education is expensive in the Philippines. However, with the TVL track and the ICT strand, hundreds of thousands of students can be trained in a technical field and be able to find gainful employment as soon as they graduate.
Vocational Experience
The TVL track and the ICT strand has a curriculum that is centered on providing both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Combined, these will provide students with an extremely useful vocational education along with their high school degree. This strand can help students who are looking for employment straight out of high school. This is because the ICT strand has provided them with the knowledge they need to start working without having to finish 4 more years of tertiary education.
However, should students wish to pursue a college degree in the information and communication technology field, ICT strand alumni will find that many of their college classes will already be credited in the SHS program, further lowering their out-of-pocket costs and making a college degree a more tangible reality for students of the TVL track.
Livelihood Potential
As the name suggests, the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track is a curriculum that is designed specifically for students who want to have the option of seeking employment right after high school. For students in the TVL track with an ICT strand, this means being taught skills that will be useful to them as information and communication technology experts.
Although the employment potential for graduates of this strand is vast and varied, the livelihood prospects are just as gainful. ICT strand graduates will be leaving senior high school with an advanced understanding of digital technology, both the software that runs our digital world to the hardware that makes it all possible. However, they'll also be taught entrepreneurial concepts that utilize information and communication technology, which means that students will have the know-how and expert capabilities to start their own tech service-based business.
This is perfect for students who may be living in far-flung provinces where major tech companies do not operate in. By providing a much-needed tech service for their communities, ICT strand alumni will be building up an impressive and practical knowledge-base that will be sought after by major companies both locally and abroad, all while earning a livable income. All of this without the need for a college degree.
The Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track with the Information and Communication Technology strand provides hundreds of thousands of highly skilled Filipino students with the opportunity to build up their talents in digital tech without having to worry about saving for college. It's an academic track that's perfect for students who require gainful employment after senior high school, and it's a good steppingstone for them to find financial success both here in the Philippines and anywhere else in the world.