PSU Career Center

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.

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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:

  1. Provide comprehensive career services that will enable students to make well informed career decisions and to provide access to relevant information, advice, guidance and experience to enable them to realize their potential.
  2. Assist the students to develop the skills, attributes and experiences that will help them to progress into their chosen profession.
  3. Support the University to understand and adapt to the changing graduate employment market for our students and graduates.
  4. Develop collaborative links with various organizations and employers for the benefit of the students and the University in general.

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:

  1. Career Guidance/Counseling
  2. Career Assessment
  3. Career Fair / Job Fair
  4. Peer Coaching
  5. In-campus Interviews
  6. Job Search / Job Listing Database
  7. Alumni Networking

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:

  • Support and advise the Career Center Director and staff on matters of career and employment preparation.
  • Discuss current issues in campus recruiting and career-related trends.
  • Provide a forum for benchmarking ideas/concerns related to entry level full time and internship hiring.
  • Share feedback to the Career Center on new and existing initiatives.
  • Develop relationships between the Career Center and employer contacts, helping to facilitate successful recruitment of PSU students.
  • Identify employment market needs and hiring trends.
  • Support career development activities.
  • Provide information about internships and employment opportunities in the different industries, and when applicable, access to internships and employment in the board members’ or other companies

Membership of the PSU Career Center Advisory Board shall consist of the following:

  1. Director, Office of Student Affairs and Services
  2. Director, Office of Transnational Education
  3. Director, Alumni Affairs
  4. Director, Office of Gender and Development
  5. Representative from the Students
  6. Representative from the Department of Labor & Employment
  7. Representative from the Non-Government Organization (Rotary Club)
  8. Representative from the Chamber of Commerce

Technical Working Group

The PSU Career Center Technical Working Group shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

  • creation of informational documents which will promote the Career Center (brochures, pamphlets, tarpaulins)
  • coordination with the Office of Student Affairs and Services as well as the different Colleges and Campuses
  • coordination with various organizations/agencies
  • clarify issues, formulate strategies and develop action plans.
  • continuous improvement and development of the Career Center through research and partnerships with different local and international organizations

Membership of the PSU Career Center Technical Working Group shall consist of the following:

  1. University Guidance Counselor, who shall serve as the Working Group’s chairperson, and shall be responsible in facilitating group discussions and offers leadership and guidance to the Working Group.
  2. Career Placement and Development/ Testing and Assessment Coordinator from OSAS
  3. OSAS Practitioners assigned to the different colleges of the University
  4. OJT/Internship Coordinator from the different colleges of the University
  5. Career Center Coordinator from CCRD-North
  6. Career Center Coordinator from CCRD-South