News/Events

Development Consulting Services (DCS) Career Services experts Tom Devlin and Farouk Dey were recently deployed to Manila, Philippines to assist the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) in career center development and industry outreach.

Dey and Devlin evaluated the current status of student career services and partnerships with business and industry at TIP, and will form a five-year plan to develop the university’s career center into a model institution that can be emulated at other regional universities.

Stakeholders in the region were highly receptive to the idea of developing a model career center at the university, and many participated directly in the development process. Approximately 30 students, 15 recent alumni, and dozens of university administrators, faculty, guidance counselors, and other staff met with Dey and Devlin to discuss their relationships with the university and career services. The groups worked to determine how the career center at TIP could best be developed to bridge the gaps between the needs of the university, students, and employers.

Following a week of on-site work, training, evaluations, and planning, TIP invited approximately 200 guests to an open seminar to discuss the role of university career services, different ways employers can get involved, and best practices for universities, educators, and employers. Attendees included administrators, faculty, and staff from regional universities, as well as many executives and recruiters from Filipino businesses.

Ellen De Guzman, director of human resources at Stateland, Inc., a real estate firm, said she was extremely impressed with what she learned at the seminar, and found the experts’ advice very relevant.

“The program was excellent,” De Guzman said. “We are so blessed in the Philippines that USAID is extending its assistance to our academe and employers, to help fill in the so-called ‘gaps.’ I personally experience the effect of this issue as my company, like many others, sees a rise in unemployment in spite of many job opportunities.”

DCS’ work is a part of the larger five-year, Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) project, which aims to increase the capacity of higher education in the Philippines, with a focus on the high-growth sectors of science, technology, engineering, manufacturing, research, and other related fields. The $30 million project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with RTI International (RTI).