College of Technical - Vocational and Training

Technical and vocational courses formed the foundation of the University’s Main Campus since its inception in 1953. With the rising unemployment in the province during the post-World War II period, undaunted men and women of the province rise up to the challenge of establishing a trade school in Bataan—thus, the Bataan National School of Arts and Trades (BNSAT) was born.

When the first classes opened on November 2, 1953, the pioneer courses offered by the school were woodworking, practical electricity, machine shop practice and automechanics. One of the first courses in the Main Campus was the Two-Year Trade Technician Curriculum.

As the school grew rapidly, secondary trade courses for boys were opened in 1956 and for girls in 1957. By 1965, the following shop courses were being offered: Machine Shop Technology, Pattern-Making Technology, Foundry Technology, Dressmaking and Foods. All these courses were opened in response to the clamor and demand of the people of Bataan.

The school has also been a site of several skill training programs of foreign vocational teachers under the Third Country Scheme. Bataan National School of Arts and Trades (BNSAT, now BPSU Main Campus) was one of the 23 vocational schools throughout the country selected to participate in the Asian Development Bank-funded Technical Vocational Education Project (TVEP). In June 1984, the school started to offer a new curriculum under the TVEP, a two-year program leading to the Diploma in Industrial Technician (DIT) with major areas of specialization in mechanical technology and electronics technology. Later on, electrical technology and welding and fabrication technology were added as major areas of specialization.

In 1986, the three-year technician course leading to the Diploma of Technology (DT) was offered in lieu of the Diploma in Industrial Technician. The DT program provided longer time allotment for supervised industrial training. In 2003, the Diploma of Technology was redesigned and renamed Diploma of Engineering Technology (DET) with the same areas of specialization.

Meanwhile, a new curriculum envisioned to meet the immediate needs of industrial establishments for adequately trained technicians to fill the void resulting from the exodus of trained manpower to foreign countries, the Main Campus was authorized to offer the Two-Year Certificate of Technology in June 1989. The major fields of specialization of this course are Automotive Technology and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology.

In 1999, the Institute of Technical-Vocational Training (ITVT) came into being as an off-shoot of the conversion of BNSAT into Bataan Polytechnic State College (BPSC) in 1998. Headed by Mr. Cesar Cruz Gonzales since 1999, the ITVT houses the following courses: Diploma of Engineering Technology, Two-Year Trade Technician Curriculum; Certificate of Technology, and Community Livelihood Program.

The conversion of BPSC into a University in March 2007 warranted the Institute to change its official name into College of Technical and Vocational Training, eyeing to offer additional courses to answer the needs of domestic and foreign industries.

Looking back, the Institute has grown in number in terms of student population, faculty and academic programs. One thing remains unfaltering, the ITVT’s zeal in contributing to the pool of blue collar workers of the Philippines and other countries of the world.