USAID STRIDE recognizes T.I.P. Career Center as Model Career Center in the Philippines
(In photo) From left to right: STRIDE Program Institutionalization Manager Dominic Barnachea, USAID STRIDE Career Consultant Dr. Jeffrey Garis, STRIDE Program Chief of Party Dr. Richard Abendan, T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, T.I.P. Manila Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rosalinda Valdepeñas, and T.I.P. Career Center Director Dr. Frank Alejandrino during the Model Career Center awarding to the T.I.P. Career Center.
The Career Center of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) was awarded the recognition, “Model Career Center” by the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the 2nd STRIDE Career Center Development Training recently held at the Career Center of T.I.P Quezon City. In attendance were representatives of various Luzon-based Higher Education Institutions and STRIDE officials.
Present at the event to receive the award were T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, T.I.P. Manila Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rosalinda Valdepeñas, and T.I.P. Career Center Director Dr. Frank Alejandrino. The recognition was awarded by STRIDE Program Chief of Party Dr. Richard Abendan, STRIDE Career Consultant Dr. Jeffrey Garis, and STRIDE Program Institutionalization Manager Dominic Barnachea.
The award reads “The USAID STRIDE Program recognizes the Technological Institute of the Philippines as a Model Career Center that exemplifies best practices in engaging industry in career development and championing student success as promoted by the STRIDE Career Center Development Program.”
The idea of career centers was introduced to the Philippines by USAID through the STRIDE Program in order to help Philippine universities integrate existing in-campus student development services into a cohesive whole for better interaction with the industries that employ their graduates.
T.I.P. President Dr. Quirino-Lahoz explained that the T.I.P. Career Centers have learned how to nurture at the institutional level real working linkages with the best industry partners, helping jumpstart the careers of T.I.P. students. The Career Centers have thus served as a great leveler for T.I.P. students who otherwise do not have the usual family connections or “old boy” networks which students from better off families have.
An indicator of the early success of the T.I.P. Career Centers and T.I.P.’s Outcomes-Based Education in enhancing the employability of T.I.P. graduates can be gleaned from the JobStreet.com Employer Preference Survey released in 2018, where T.I.P. ranked 7th in the most preferred schools by employers in terms of hiring fresh graduates and second most preferred school by companies in the engineering industry.
Dr. Abendan and Dr. Garis both commended the T.I.P. Career Center for its success in providing good services to the students as reflected in the employability of T.I.P. graduates, 92% for T.I.P. Manila and 93% for T.I.P. QC.
Dr. Quirino-Lahoz elaborated, “The T.I.P. Career Centers have provided students opportunities, experiences, and connections, way beyond the usual realm of possibilities in Higher Education.”
"The USAID STRIDE award for the T.I.P. Career Center is a validation of T.I.P.’s hard work, creativity and commitment as a community to transform lives and help students build their careers. It also puts T.I.P. in the forefront as a pioneer and leader in career development services," she said.
