Section 3Sec./Art. 3

General Mandate. - In line with the adoption of the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) and the Senior High School Program of the Department of Education (DepED), the Institute shall endeavor to restructure its technical-vocational education curricular programs to make them responsive to the rapidly, changing demands of the industry and the labor market in both the domestic and global fronts, and within the context of the mutual recognition arrangements embodied in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic integration framework and other relevant international agreements for technical-vocational education.

The Institute shall endeavor to offer higher level competency qualifications in technical-industrial education programs and technology and shall continue to upgrade its curricular standards as a tertiary TESDA-polytechnic educational institution that caters to wide-ranging specialized technical, creative and conceptual knowledge and skills demonstrating depth and complexity in the planning, evaluation, initiation and management of approaches to competency compliant technical skills and functional knowledge application.

The Institute shall offer a wide array of one (l)-year to three (3)-year TESDA-registered technical-vocational curricular skills training programs and certificate courses, and shall aim to meet the competency requirements under Level V of the PQF, which is the Diploma Level in technical-vocational education. It shall primarily provide tertiary undergraduate technical-vocational education, and shall likewise ensure the provision of various skills trainings and trade specialization courses relevant to the needs of the province, specifically geared towards the acquisition of employable skills, gainful employment, practical livelihood and entrepreneurship.

The Institute shall play a lead role in helping students and out-of-school youths and residents from low-income families and persons with disabilities in the Municipality of Kabasalan and adjacent municipalities in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay become productive and self-reliant, and to become part of a globally competitive middle to high-level skilled labor force to hasten the social and economic development of the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay, in particular, as well as meet the manpower needs of both local and international labor markets, in general.

The Institute shall consider in the design of relevant technical-vocational training programs and courses to be offered thereat a competency assessment of the socioeconomic profile, employment conditions and opportunities, business climate, market and industry potentials, resources available and presence of support structures, including the literacy level and skills readiness, and the overall development needs of the host area, Kabasalan, and adjacent communities within the operational radius of the Institute.

It shall likewise consider the relevant skills and trade competencies, craftsmanship training programs and entrepreneurship activities needed to deliver the effective employment and development interventions required to make Kabasalan and all localities comprising the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay human resource and economic productivity hubs.

The Institute shall also serve as a TESDA-accredited Assessment Center for acquired competencies in technical-vocational skills in the entire Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Priority admission to the Institute and availment of technical-vocational education thereat, including scholarships, grants-in-aid and student financial assistance, however, shall be given to the most disadvantaged citizens of the Municipality of Kabasalan and to the most economically depressed areas in the province.

Further, as deemed necessary and practicable, in coordination with the DepED and the TESDA, the Institute shall render relevant teachers training assistance and curriculum design to the secondary schools offering the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track under the K to 12 Program of the DepED in the communities and areas within the operational radius of the Institute.