I. Background and Rationale
On January 19-20, 2015, Dr. Jeffrey Milligan and Dr. Jeff Garis from Florida State University were invited to consult regarding the development of career centers with three universities in the Southern region of the Philippines as part of the USAID Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Project. PSU was among the 3 universities chosen to participate in the said initiative, along with Western Philippines University (WPU) and Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST). Their visit to the university was regarded as an initial needs assessment to gather information regarding the delivery of current career related programs and to re-affirm the interest of PSU in developing a career center.
Based on the initial visit by the FSU consultants, it was determined that while some fundamentally sound career programs are in place at PSU, WPU and MUST, career centers are absent and should be designed with supporting programs and services. One of the recommendations is to create a career center which will offer a more comprehensive array of career counseling and other career related programs and services.
In the Philippines, the Statistics Authority in its most recent report published last July 29, 2015 stated that the unemployment rate or the proportion of unemployed persons to the labor force was estimated at 6.6 percent. This placed the number of unemployed Filipinos at around 2.7 million. Across educational groups, 20.4 percent of these unemployed Filipinos (around 550, 800 individuals) are college graduates. (https://psa.gov.ph/content/employment-situation-january-2015%C2%B9-final-results)
Universities, in a tough job market, need to do more to help their students find a job. Through their career centers, universities should consistently make significant efforts to connect students to opportunities in the job market, because getting a job, many would argue, is the (if not the) point of getting a college education. A strong career center ensures students and prospective students alike of the value of their higher education. And this benefits not just students but also the university since high rates of job placement yield high university rankings. Likewise, the creation of career centers makes a statement by the respective institution that the professional development and employment of their graduates is very important.
{besps}OSAS{/besps}
II. Mission and Objectives
The Palawan State University Career Center is committed to provide relevant, useful, accessible, and sustainable career services among students and alumni through strong linkages and collaboration with various institutions.
The PSU Career Center aims to:
III. Scope of Work
The PSU Career Center is committed to provide comprehensive programs and services that supports and facilitates career development for all students.
Services:
PSU Career Center Advisory Board
The Palawan State University Career Center Advisory Board shall be comprised of a diverse group of professionals across a wide section of industries. The rationale for the establishment of the Career Center Advisory Board is to create a partnership with leaders from different sectors who will help students to succeed in the internship and job search process and support the University in its mission to provide a pipeline of outstanding and well-prepared talent to the community.
The PSU Career Center Advisory Board shall:
Membership of the PSU Career Center Advisory Board shall consist of the following:
Technical Working Group
The PSU Career Center Technical Working Group shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
Membership of the PSU Career Center Technical Working Group shall consist of the following: