1st Phl-German dual study program to address education-jobs mismatch

MANILA, Philippines - In a bid to address the “mismatch” problem of college courses and job opportunities, the University of Sto. Tomas announced its participation in the first Philippine-German Dual Study Program to start next year wherein students would be studying courses/lessons that increase their chances of getting a job locally and even abroad.

The College of Commerce and Business Administration of UST signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the International University of Cooperative Education (iUCE) that would give select students the opportunity of earning two college bachelor degrees.

Under the “First Philippine-German Dual Study Program,” the qualified students apart from getting a bachelor’s degree from the UST, would also get a secondary degree from a German university such as Bachelor in International Business Management.

UST College of Commerce and Business Administration dean Prof. Ma. Socorro Calara said that the MOA is a “trailblazer” for them and “the start of internationalization of our college.”

“Earning a degree from a foreign university is very expensive, even if it is a bachelor degree, you cannot earn that degree anywhere in the Philippines. So imagine you will stay in your own country, you would not pay board or other expenses, yet you are getting a diploma coming from a foreign university,” said Calara.

However, she explained that the students have the option to spend their fifth year in college in Germany and practice in a German company. They would also be given allowances during their practicum or on-the-job training (OJT).

The students would have to shoulder their travel expenses to and from Germany. While they are there, they would be housed in a German university for free.  

The UST is hoping that through this program, they would help reduce the problem of college graduates who cannot find work or if they find work, it does not match the courses that they took in college.

The program is supported by the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

Dr. Holger Manzke, GPCCI second vice president, said that the industry would often complain that the education is not sufficient. But the dual degree program would make it a “win-win-win” situation for the industry, the university and the students.

The students who would qualify in the program would have better employment. He said, “The students would have a chance to learn in school, but they would also have a good introduction of the work later on.”

Manzke also explained that “The German system is so successful because of several reasons. But one is that the industry is involved in the education. They do not just complain and destructive, they are constructive.”

The industry in Germany participates in the education system. “We optimize human resources by bringing them into the position to learn in school something about the job. So they are well trained when they enter the job,” he added. 

Professor Calara explained under the program, the students who would pass the qualifying examination, would have to stay in college for 5 1/2 years, instead of the normal four years.

The pilot dual study program is on the academic year 2013-2014. They are eyeing 40 to 45 students.

During the first two years, the students would be taught the UST curriculum, but come third year, they would adopt the German curriculum in the English language. The iUCE would accredit some of UST’s subjects, and would introduce new subjects.

“We sat down together to reconcile their program and our program. So they came up with two years under the UST program, while the remaining 3 1/2 years is theirs. But the program would be in such a way wherein 50 percent of the class hours are practicum oriented,” Calara said.

She added that “There would be some German professors who would be coming over to teach in our college ... Some of the lecturers would be managers, some of the case studies would be about the company itself, so they are trying to fit the needs of the company with the lessons of the students.”

They would also be accrediting some UST faculty members to teach their subjects.