The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Education (DepEd) recently signed a data sharing agreement to easily identify Senior High School Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (SHS-TVL) track students and graduates.

Janet Abasolo, executive director of the TESDA Certification Office, said the goal is to validate a learner’s identity using DepEd’s Learners Information System (LIS) and TESDA’s Assessment Schedule Information System (ASIS).

“This would streamline the competency assessment process, and prevent delays in endorsement, as well as identity mismatches and duplication of data,” she said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.

“The data sharing agreement is also necessary to protect the students’ privacy while fast-tracking services,” Abasolo added.

The agreement ensures that the data is more secure to prevent fraud, errors and duplication.

Additionally, the agreement abides by the Data Privacy Act, ensuring that the data is secured and transparent, she said.

Both agencies have designated data protection officers and established strict safeguards, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and breach notification protocol.

A learner’s data is needed to verify if he or she was an SHS-TVL graduate to get a schedule for assessment.

TESDA Secretary Francisco Benitez and Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the agreement signing at the TESDA Central Office in Taguig City on Aug. 14.

“By linking our systems, we ensure that every learner is properly identified and given access to the assessment services they deserve. This partnership reflects our commitment to transparent, efficient, and learner-centered public service,” Benitez was quoted as saying in a news release on Wednesday.

He added that the partnership shows how government agencies can work together for learners, noting that the integration will not only ease the burden on learners but also on TESDA and DepEd personnel. (PNA)