Getting excited with their ideas to beef up the curriculum, 30 of CITE’s industry partners representatives met with the cluster and academic heads during the Annual Curriculum Review on October 27 at CITE Alumni Center.

The event aimed to gather ideas from the industry partners to improve the content of the Industrial Technician Program (ITP). It also allowed a free-flowing interaction concerning the performance of the in-plant trainees. 

Mr. Jun Mercado, Industry Linkage Manager, opened the program in the hope of coming up with a better curriculum based on the inputs. Mr. Marlon Valencia, Industry Coordination Officer, also gave a short introduction on Dual Training System (DTS) training and Competency Based Training (CBT) which are the driving force of ITP.

The group was divided into three. Fifteen participants were assigned to study the curriculum of Electromechanics Technology headed by Mr. Jose Roland Flores and Mr. Romero Enoc. Eight were assigned to Mr. Neil Agbay for the Information Technology and seven of them, mostly HR practitioners, comprised the Communication and Interpersonal Skills group.

The exchange of ideas was enriching, and at most of the time, inspiring. Industries raised concerns like students’ ability to interpret blueprints and their capability to operate high-end machines. Among the IT professionals, they raised concerns like students’ abilities on new Microsoft technology which companies are inclined to use. In the Communications group, the participants raised the students’ lack of critical thinking skills, comprehension, speaking and writing skills which are deemed important in companies where transactions involve a face-to-face interaction with the clients.

Among the companies who responded to this annual event were Lexmark Research and Development Corporation, Teradyne Philippines Ltd, Cebu Mitsumi Inc., Philippine Makoto, Symbol Arts Philippines, Daitoh Precisions, Montebello Villa Hotel, PEBA Trading and Manufacturing Corporation, GT Industrial Development, Inc., TMX Philippines, and MEPZ Mixed Gases Corporation, among others.