Perspectives of Agriculture Employers on Agricultural Crop Production Trainees: The Case of Davao Del Norte

Abstract

The Technical Vocational and Livelihood (TVL) track is part of the K-12 program, which was implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2013. The track aims to help students transition into the workforce after graduation or continue their education and skill development. However, some studies claimed a common mismatch between education and employment in TVL graduates. This research explores the experiences of Agriculture Industries, mainly the skills, knowledge, and attitude of on-the-job trainees, as they house Technical Vocational and Livelihood (TVL), specifically, those taking Agriculture Crop Production (ACP). This study gathers the agriculture industry perspective mainly from three agricultural firms in Davao del Norte—TADECO, Marsman Estate Plantation Inc., and the City Agriculture Office (CAGRO) to provide insight into developing innovative strategies to address the existing gap. The study follows a qualitative case study methodology, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with three participants from the agriculture industry. The gathered data were systematically coded, analyzed, and interpreted using thematic analysis. The process involved familiarization with the data, initial code generation, theme development, reviewing and refining themes, and defining and naming final themes. The study resulted in five major themes: Agriculture knowledge and specialized skills, positive work ethic and attitudes, skill and experience gap, professionalism and work readiness, and curriculum innovation through industry insight. This study fills a significant gap in the literature on workforce development by capturing the firsthand viewpoint of employers in the agriculture industry on trainees involved in crop production. The study makes it clear that strengthening curriculum enhancement and hands-on integration in courses is necessary to bolster the data supporting better school-to-work transitions in the agriculture sector, especially in emerging nations.