A total of 987 students in Palawan were awarded TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) scholarships for the year 2010 under the Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) and Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP).

For the 350 scholars under the PESFA, many are enrolled in non-degree technical/vocational tourism-related services courses (39.7 percent) and computer/IT courses (26.2 percent). Other courses taken by the scholars are in automotive industry services, construction services, deck seafaring, and bookkeeping.

The PESFA program seeks to promote technical–vocational courses to marginalized but deserving students thereby contributing to the development of a competent skilled workforce. It also aims to assist private institutions in their development efforts by assuring a steady supply of enrollees to their course offerings.

There are 637 scholarships awarded under the TWSP. The TWSP scholarship, either full or partial, pay for the training costs for finishing courses in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry: call center, medical and legal transcription, animation, software development, and other industries with critical skills requirements.

Many of the scholars under the TWSP took up computer/IT courses (32 percent), hotel and restaurant/food services (31.8 percent), and automotive industry courses (19.3 percent).

There are presently 20 TESDA accredited public and private institutions that are offering these scholarship courses.