John Clements VP Talks to COCOPEA Congess
by Dawnie Maputi

“Convergence: Enhancing Partnership in Philippine Education” was the theme for the first COCOPEA National Congress, held from April 12-14, 2005 at the Manila Hotel. Some of the objectives of the congress were: to identify and learn about effective cooperative methods of educational administration to survive in these times, and to develop the partnership between government and private education.

Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gave the keynote address during the opening of the convention, which was attended by presidents, vice-presidents for academic affairs, HRD directors and other administrators of private schools from all over the Philippines.

An estimated 800-1,000 participants were present at each of the three parallel sessions.
Ms. Grace C. Sorongon, Vice President and Managing Director of John Clements Consultants, Inc. was invited to speak at one of the sessions on the topic “Job Placement for College Graduates.”

In her speech, Ms. Sorongon she stressed that “There is always a need to seek knowledge and be well-informed on what’s happening—not only within the Philippines but beyond its borders.” She went on to add, “Knowledge [is] key. It has even become more important than machinery.”

Ms. Sorongon pointed out that the Philippines is still second to India in-terms of the BPO industry. “The Philippines is just scratching the surface,” she emphasized. However, she also pointed out that our country has a distinct edge over other countries that are capable of providing the same services.

Nowadays, competencies required by today’s employer are set on a higher scale. There has been a dramatic increase in the demand for jobs, and therefore, an increase in required skills. “The new economy is pushing a new set of skills in the area of entrepreneurship, enterprise leadership, decision making, ethics, and social responsibility,” said Ms. Sorongon. “Premium is set on technical and intellectual capabilities and a high level of competence in information technology is a given.”

Ms. Sorongon also provided interesting insights into recruitment in the 21st century. She posited that recruitment activity for new graduates has evolved into a more sophisticated process. Whereas the interview used to be a major instrument in determining a candidate’s capabilities, more sophisticated instruments and underlying processes are now used to screen applicants.

The conclusion of Ms. Sorongon’s speech was a challenge to participants with regard to their importance in today’s economy. “You play a major role in molding our students and in producing employable new graduates,” she stated.