This JEEP gets them going!

MANILA, Philippines –  Students from Mindanao universities are launching their careers in high-growth industries with the help of a U.S. government-funded language project aimed at strengthening their job-related English skills before they graduate.

Recently, 32 junior students from Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City were interviewed for prestigious hotel job internships by Singapore recruiters.

Mainly on the basis of their interviews, all 32 were accepted for the six-month internships, even though their university’s new hotel and restaurant management program has yet to graduate its first batch.

 “It’s rare that all the applicants from a single school are chosen,” said Norbert Ojastro of the Ojastro Recruitment Agency, one of several recruiters accredited by the Commission on Higher Education to help college students complete their course practicum abroad.

“The Singaporean interviewers were impressed by the students, who appeared smart and knowledgeable, and expressed themselves well in English,” Ojastro added.

The acceptance rate among students applying for international job internships can range from 35 to 70 percent per group of applicants from a particular school.

A vital factor in their success, the WMSU students and their teachers say, is the Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) Project implemented by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program in partnership with 22 colleges and universities in the region, both public and private.

“I saw how our students had been transformed by their JEEP experience, so it wasn’t a surprise to me that they did so well,” said Professor Lucia Santos, Dean of WMSU’s College of Home Economics.

“We were a little tense, but once the interview began, it felt like a regular conversation, and I didn’t feel nervous at all,” said Julie Pearl Fuentebella, one of the WMSU students. “Our JEEP practice interviews were harder!”

JEEP is aimed at equipping students with specific English language skills needed for jobs in rapidly expanding sectors, such as travel and tourism, nursing and allied health care, maritime services, and other areas of international business.

The JEEP training begins with a year of multimedia computer focusing on General English language skills known as JEEP-Start.

The JEEP training begins with a year of computer-assisted instruction and classroom activities focusing on General English language skills, known as JEEP-Start.

This is followed by another one-year course, JEEP-Accelerate, that utilizes mixed-mode instruction and focuses on English for Specific Purposes (ESP). These WMSU students’ JEEP-Accelerate studies focused on English for the travel and tourism industry.

JEEP does require investment from both the college and the students. The school must provide a dedicated speech laboratory, designate a JEEP coordinator and teachers, and commit to maintaining the laboratory equipment and multi-media training materials provided by the GEM Program.

To ensure the sustainability of the JEEP project in their school, students must pay a fee over and above their regular tuition.

“In a state institution like ours, the P750 fee is a substantial investment for students,” said JEEP Coordinator Julie Uy Cabato, who is also director of the WMSU Language Development Resource Center.

However, as JEEP instructor Ericson Alieto points out, those studying at other universities who are not JEEP partners need to spend several thousand pesos for similar training.

“JEEP helps put our students — many of whom come from nearby provinces and whose families’ incomes are below average – at par with those from private schools in terms of quality instruction,” Alieto said.

The students – and their teachers – must also be prepared to spend longer hours at school for the JEEP-Accelerate training, which is varied and demanding, and which includes Internet-based study, group work, improvised conversations revolving around typical job situations, and written exercises to expand workplace communication skills.

As the date of the recruitment loomed, the WMSU students were provided with videos of themselves taken during JEEP practice interviews.

“This made me aware of how I appeared to others, and of my habit of repeating the question I was being asked,” said John Sotto, who garnered one of the Singapore internships. “It taught me the importance of maintaining eye contact, keeping track of my mannerisms, and answering promptly.”

He added: “I learned that once one has made one’s point, there’s no need to go into a long dialogue.”

“In JEEP, students take charge of their learning, and the teacher serves more as a facilitator,” Alieto said. “Students aren’t taught about the language, but the language itself, and how it is used in a real-life work setting.”

This training approach, combined with the depth of the course content, helped imbue the WMSU students with an air of quiet confidence and competence that caught the attention of the Singaporeans, according to HRM advisor Louie Aguilar, who was present at the interviews. “The way our students carried themselves was different,” he said.

“One interviewer asked me how I would survive in an environment like Singapore, which is so different from what I know,” said student Danna Espra. “I said that I would always adjust and adapt to whatever culture I found myself in.”

“It’s not just a matter of saying the right words to the recruiter,” said Fuentebella, who is leaving Zamboanga this month for Singapore to begin her internship. “You have to express the real you. And I think I was able to communicate that I am hardworking and focused on my future.”

To date, more than 10,000 college students from across Mindanao have enrolled in JEEP, preparing to tell job recruiters and potential employers, in clear, confident English, that they have what it takes to succeed in their chosen fields.