The Department of Justice (DOJ) has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide skills training to probationers, parolees, and pardonees.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla signed the memorandum of agreement with TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez last Nov. 15, the DOJ said in a news release Monday.

“This milestone in our Corrections system was made possible by the earnest and diligent efforts of our present government under the Bagong Pilipinas movement to reform and transform lives, ensuring that no one gets left behind in our path to progress, even those undergoing reformation and corrections,” Remulla was quoted as saying.

The DOJ is obliged to screen qualified beneficiaries who could avail of TESDA’s various skills training programs and work with local government units for possible support and provide venues for the training.

The agency will also monitor the training status of the program beneficiaries.

TESDA will facilitate the training through the extension and mobile training programs and conduct a training needs analysis to determine the skills training programs to be provided.

TESDA will facilitate the assessment and certification of graduates for certifiable TVET (technical and vocational education and training) programs subject to the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and Certification System and other rules and regulations on its scholarship programs.

The program will run for three years.

Probationers are convicted of a criminal offense but not sent to prison and instead placed under the supervision of a probation officer.

Parolees, on the other hand, are conditionally released from correctional institutions after serving the minimum period of prison sentence, while pardonees are released on parole or conditional pardon with parole conditions in place. (PNA)