As the Philippines moves towards building a strong middle-class society envisioned in AmbisyonNatin 2040, jobs-education mismatch remains a challenge that needs to be addressed. Since 2000, public opinion polls have consistently named employment as one of the top three problems the country faces.
For STI Education Services Group, Inc. (STI ESG), closing existing gaps means immersing students in learning experiences that go beyond the classroom. Every year, STI hosts different activities from competitions to conferences that give students the opportunity to maximize what they can learn from inside and outside the academe.
“Designing a relevant curriculum is one step to equip young Filipinos with the expertise to succeed in their chosen field. It is just as important, however, to provide our students with opportunities to showcase their talents outside the classroom,” said STI AVP for Academic Research Aisa Q. Hipolito. “This is what STI education is about: helping young Filipinos succeed in professions they were trained for, and we are exhausting every opportunity we can provide to meet this goal.”
Fostering Excellence Inside And Outside Classrooms
In terms of academic programs, an opportunity that STI leverages on is how the technology sector offers the most promising career paths for Filipinos, a trend that is reflected in LinkedIn’s report titled Emerging Jobs: Philippines. The booming e-Commerce scene in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region also offers big potential for aspiring programmers. According to the Asian Development Bank’s “Embracing the E-Commerce Revolution in Asia and the Pacific” report, the Asia-Pacific region is the world’s largest business-to-consumer e-Commerce market.
This led STI to become the first academic institution in the country to offer a retail management course: the 4-year Bachelor of Science in Retail Technology and Consumer Science and 2-year Associate in Retail Technology.
STI also seeks opportunities for aspiring practitioners in the culinary scene. After all, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry in 2015 reveal that the economy’s formal sector has 27,028 establishments engaged in accommodation and food service activities.
One of STI’s most recent efforts to help boost the Philippine food industry is the introduction of the two-year Professional Culinary Arts program, a finishing course for senior high school students. To complement these efforts, STI hosts different competitions for future practitioners in the culinary field.
Mix ‘N Flair, for one, challenges the students’ cocktail making skills within a 10-minute limit time. Another competition called Worth the Whisk tests the students’ creativity and artistry in baking cakes. Chef Express, on the other hand, tasks its participants to prepare their best full course meal in two hours.
All these competitions geared at fostering excellence in the culinary and technology fields are part of the nationwide Tagisan ng Talino, an annual competition that also includes quiz bee, mobile app development, tour guiding, essay writing, and public speaking.
To further immerse young Filipinos in the fields they’re planning to join, STI also hosts the National Youth Convention in different key cities across the Philippines, where more than 20,000 senior high school and college students can gather insights and learn current trends from industry luminaries.
Recently, STI joined the first franchise model eSports circuit, The Nationals, to nurture young talents in the field of e-Gaming industry. In the coming days, STI will tap its rich pool of talents through tournaments within its network.
Spotlight On Creativity And Solidarity
Aside from students’ expertise, creativity, teamwork, and camaraderie also take the spotlight in STI’s extracurricular activities.
Every year, STI campuses nationwide sends representatives to the Talent Search, a social competition, that consists of battle of the bands, singing idol, dance showdown, and search for Mr. and Ms. STI.
On the other hand, Tagisan ng Sining hosts competitions on filmmaking and photography to celebrate artistry and originality. The STI Sports Cup, which includes the National Basketball Tournament and National Volleyball League, is another competition to strengthen solidarity while fostering holistic development.
By hosting these different programs, STI does not only equip its students with expertise on their fields, they also develop other life skills necessary for leadership in the country’s industries.
“In the long run, what we want to develop are well-rounded individuals who will drive our country and our industries to the future. This is how we make STI education holistic, by helping Filipinos excel in the roles they fill once they step out of our classrooms,” Hipolito added.