Technology-driven world to need more ICT-enabled workers

Today's vast improvement in technology has transformed the world into a "global village" where every human function can be related to machines and other high-tech gadgetry. Instead of old, bulky metal logbooks, nurses in the U.S. now use handheld PCs to store data for more efficient handling of patient information. Outdated manual typewriter machines have also taken the boot, having been replaced by the more powerful computers for better business productivity. Even the way we communicate has also gone high-tech, with people preferring to send via e-mail, MMS or SMS instead of mailing letters which was the practice more than two decades ago. In fact, it seems that nothing is ever achieved nowadays without the use of technology making knowledge of computers and other modern facilities a necessity!

 

Realizing a need to equip today's youth with the right technological know-how, STI, the largest network of colleges in the country today has decided to offer ICT-enhanced courses in Nursing, Engineering, Education and Business. These are in addition to a wide array of Information and Communications Technology-related courses that the institution has been known for since its inception in 1983. By combining course-related skills with the latest innovations in technology, STI students are thus able to acquire added ICT skills as required by the industry.

 

Aside from pioneering the use of a standardized set of courseware in the country, which enables students to get the same quality education regardless of where he/she enrolls in, STI is likewise employing a vastly improved system of education where teachings are delivered using "blended-learning" approach. A form of technology-enhanced education, this new approach calls for a totally new method of teaching that combines computers and other educational tools with the different ways in which various subjects may be taught.

 

"Compared to the traditional 'face-to-face' approach in classroom settings, the use of blended learning was verified by experts to have helped enhance student understanding of various subject matters regardless of age, social stature or economic background," explains Mr. Mitch Andaya, Vice President for the Learning Systems Division of STI.

 

Aside from computers, Mr. Andaya also cites the use of guides as lecturers during field trips as another form of this approach. Not only do students get to see the 'real' thing, they also learn about it at the same time. "Aside from improving the content of your discussion, it would also be a good ploy to teach in a manner so different that you are able to arouse the students' curiosity. At STI, we just don't teach IT, we also use IT to teach," he adds with a smile.

 

To ensure that the needs of STI students are covered from the time they enroll to the time they look for a job, STI has embarked on a unique human resources value-chain that enables the students to enlist the support of their alma mater through its E2E (Enrollment to Employment) System. The E2E system helps ensure that STI students get applicable education, job market skills, job preparedness and assistance in job placement. Through industry-based curriculum that's delivered using high academic delivery standards, the students are educated according to the needs of the job market.

 

To help prepare them for the rigors of an actual job environment, a certification and review process is then undertaken through STI-Universal Workers, a review center that has developed an industry leading training, testing and acculturation operation. Finally, job placement assistance is provided through Global Resource for Outsourced Workers (GROW), one of the premiere placement agencies in the Philippines, and through the Interactive Career Assistance and Recruitment System (I-CARES), an online recruitment management system that provides job assistance to STI students and alumni.

 

STI was also recently given the green light by CHED to offer nursing courses in 20 out of its more than 100 campuses nationwide, making it the largest network of nursing colleges in the country to date. Its partnership with GROW and STI-UWI establishes STI as a major resource for highly-skilled nurses and other world-class professionals.