STI goes full-blast on job placement assistance for its students

As the need for a quick solution to the country’s worsening economic problems and the steadily rising unemployment rate continue, more and more Filipinos are now training their sights overseas with the hope of finding better job opportunities abroad. In its 2004 survey, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that a total of 3.9 million, or 1 out of 10 Filipinos (11%), were unemployed last year. However, latest figures from the IBON Foundation, a non-government organization, suggests an even higher rate — 33%, which means that 3 out of 10 Filipinos are currently without a job.

 

Realizing the urgency of reversing this trend, STI, the largest network of colleges in the country, has come up with a unique human resource value chain called the E2E or “Enrollment to Employment” System, which sought to develop globally-competitive knowledge-based workers. The institution has envisioned a need to produce “job-ready” graduates whose skills are attuned to the needs of the job market so as to allow them to have gainful employment. Aside from developing skills, the system also provides job placement assistance for its students through STI’s affiliation with Global Resource for Outsourced Workers (GROW), a leading overseas recruitment agency.

 

Given the immensely positive reaction to the E2E system, another support mechanism for the program was born. Called the “National Job Placement Week”, the project is expected to further institutionalize STI’s vision of creating better job opportunities for its graduates while at the same time helping them gain an edge over other job applicants. To be implemented through the STI Alumni and Placement Services, the program is a pioneering project that will stage one of the biggest jobs fair ever to be put up by a single institution. Part of the plan is to conduct simultaneous jobs fair across STI’s more than 100 campuses in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region (NCR) from February 7 -11, 2005. In Batangas, a group of STI schools in the vicinity of Tanauan, Balayan, Batangas City and Lipa have decided to hold a joint jobs fair undertaking with SM as one of the major event sponsors.

 

“The National Job Placement Week,” explains Ms. Babes Bonoan, Manager, STI Alumni & Placement Services, “is a countrywide job placement assistance program that’s been designed solely for graduating students and alumni of STI. Aside from the simultaneous jobs fair that will be held across the nation, there’ll also be career orientation seminars for graduating STI students. These will enable graduating students and prospective job seekers to better ‘market’ themselves.”

 

To be conducted in support of one of the major components of the E2E system, which gives STI students and alumni supportive mechanism in their employment endeavors, the event shall also form part of STI’s vision to offer education on a wholistic level.

 

”While STI continues to find ways of offering the best IT-enhanced education for today’s youth, the STI Alumni and Placement Services, in parallel, shall continue helping STI graduates find better job opportunities here and abroad,” offers Ms. Monique Bumatay, also of the STI Alumni and Placement services. The STI Alumni and Placement Services runs a web-based program called Interactive Career Assistance and Recruitment System (I-CARES) to help keep track of its members. It provides job placement assistance by establishing links between STI students and graduates with local as well as foreign employers.

 

Aside from getting a chance to meet face-to-face with representatives from the participating companies, the event will also give graduating students a chance to attend free seminars on power dressing, proper handling of job interviews and writing battle-ready resumes. Participants are also expected to enjoy the daily programs lined up for them, where STI students will be encouraged to look for business opportunities during the event. Interested parties are encouraged to call or visit STI schools nearest them. For more details, log on to www.i-cares.com.