Industry Partnership Program: A Comparative Study of FEU’s Current Programs and Future Directions

Career Congress for School AdministratorsJuly 31, 2009

Objectives

• Short introduction and historical brief

• Development of external relations

• Challenges

• Possible benchmarks

• Looking to the future

Introduction

• Far Eastern University was established in 1928 in Manila, Philippines.

• It is composed of 6 colleges or institutes.• It has 2 sister schools, FEU Eastasia

College and FEU FERN College.• Student population is at 22,000.• International student population is at 500.• Dr. Lydia B. Echauz is the current

President.

Short Background of Industry Partnership

• Prior to 2006, FEU did not have an office handling External Relations.

• In 2006, External Relations was added under the Admissions Office.

• Industry relations and international affairs were both subsumed under External Relations.

• The student interns were left on their own to look for companies.

Challenges Encountered

• Monitoring difficulty

• Relevant exposure

• Student apprenticeship evaluation form data collation

• Maximizing relations with companies

• Employment challenges

Challenge from Industry – Bridging the Skills Gap

• Communication Skills• Organizational Skills• Critical Thinking Skills• Initiative• Flexibility• Multitasking Skills• International Exposure• Leadership Skills• Area of Specialization

Objectives of the External Relations Office

In 2006, FEU created the External Relations Office with the following objectives:

• Build relationships with industry• Assist graduates secure employment• Create an information dissemination system for

career opportunities• Coordinate tasks with concerned offices• Build relations with international institutions

Areas for Partnership

• OJT/ Internship• Employment• Training & Faculty Immersion• Scholarship• Community Service• Research

Note: FEU now has 40 industry partners with signed Memorandum of Agreements or MOA’s.

Additional Services for Industry Partners

• Invitation to Job Fairs

• Career Seminars

• In-house Recruitment

• Placement CD

• Career Site

• Email Blast

• Dinner with Partners

Some Difficulties Encountered

• MOA’s took time to be signed

• Manpower requirements

• Adjustment to new policies

• Competitive edge of interns

Benchmarking with other Philippine Schools

• FEU Eastasia College (FEU-EAC)

• Technological University of the Philippines (TUP)

• University of the Philippines (UP)

FEU Eastasia College

• Where Industry meets Academe

• Increased number of hours for internship

• Aggressive marketing and relationship building

• 200+ industry partners in the Information Technology and Engineering sector

Technological University of the Philippines: Industry Partnership Objectives

• To introduce students to the world of work

• To match the needs of industries for qualified manpower

• Adapt curricula to the needs of industry

• Gain access to industry’s resources

• Collaborate with industry in the conduct of research and extension activities

TUP’s Areas for Partnership

• Curriculum Development

• Education & Training

• Financing

• Resource Sharing

• Research

University of the Philippines: Science & Technology Park Partnership with Ayala Foundation Objectives

• Student & faculty exposure to technical and market realities

• Provides a collaborative venue between industry and academe to test research proposals

• Fusion of academe’s technical expertise and the industry’s market knowledge will result in innovative, dynamic products directly addressing consumer demands

• Enrichment and enhancement of academic offerings• Make UP a leader in technology-based businesses

Future Directions

• Push for curricular revisions to make FEU more attractive to industry partners

• Optimize resource sharing programs

• Focus on knowledge, resource and wealth generation

• Develop an evaluation system to measure partnership success

• Establish online tracer

Thank you