INTRODUCTION
The Coast Guard Drill Instructors do not have an existing career path that would equipped them with proper education and training to enable them to effectively manage and perform their duties and responsibilities commensurate to their rank. This study aimed to establish the Career Pattern for the Philippine Coast Guard Drill Instructors through Continuous Education and Training Program that will serve as a tool to prepare the training, assignment and promotion of Coast Guard Drill Instructors. This will ensure that Coast Guard Drill Instructors have proper education and training to enable them to cope up with the duties and responsibilities commensurate to their rank from the time of enlistment into the Regular Force until retirement. In particular, this study will be undertaken to ensure the continuity of skilled Coast Guardians necessary to efficiently utilize the Command’s Personnel talent.
Since this will be the first time to conduct research about this topic, the researcher gave more emphasis on the data that will be collected from the survey conducted through online because of this ongoing pandemic. The researcher wants to find out if there is really a need to establish the career pattern of our Coast Guard Drill Instructors. Its interpretation will be carried out as the reference of the future researcher for the conduct of a more differ studies about the establishment of career pattern of Philippine Coast Guard Drill Instructor through continuous education and training program. The researcher believe that establishing the career pattern of Coast Guard Drill Instructors through continuous education and training program is the most important base resources in determining their future success and lifetime outcomes.
METHODS
This quantitative correlational study was conducted to one hundred eighty-seven (187) Drill Instructors as respondents coming from different RTC’s and Headquarters Coast Guard Education Training and Doctrine Command (CGETDC) even those Drill Instructors who were outside CGETDC as long as a graduate of Coast Guard Drill instructors Course (CG DIC) using non-probability snowball sampling method. The researcher created the questionnaires in a Google forms in which the respondent can answer even during this pandemic. The letter to the respondent and the link of the Google form was forwarded to the researcher’s known Coast Guard Drill Instructors through messenger. Data gathered were tallied, organized, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted using the appropriate statistical techniques by a certified statistician.
RESULTS
As regards to the profile of the respondents, it is safely to assume that; most of the respondents belong to the Seaman Second Class (SN2) / Seawoman Second Class (SW2) and Seaman First Class (SN1) / Seawoman First Class SW1 in the level of hierarchy. They were the most numbers of respondents in this study. In terms of number of years in the PCG service, most of the respondents vary from one year to ten years in the PCG Service which is in consonance to their equivalent rank. In terms of number of years assigned in CGETDC, it was also prevalent that most respondents coincide with the one year to ten years of stay in CGETDC. In terms of specialization course taken, the engineering, deck and operations specialization course are almost of equal footing. But most of the respondents have not taken any specialization course.
In relation to the perception of the respondents towards Coast Guard Drill Instructors training program in terms of objectives, it is safe to assume that the respondents need to acquire all the given statements in the said objectives as per qualitative description of the grand weighted mean that they were all strongly agrees to adopt the objectives. In relation to the instructors, it is also safe to assume that base on the the strongly agree qualitative description affirms the need of qualified instructors who possessed the qualities base on the given statement. In relation to the facilities, though it is lesser priorities from the two above, it also gave emphasis that a good facility contributes to the learning process of the students.
Base on the statement of the problem in relation to the statistician computations revealed that there is a significant difference in the respondents’ perceptions on the objectives and instructors in establishing the career pattern for Philippine Coast Guard Drill Instructors through continuous education and training program when rank and number of years in the PCG service were considered in the respondents’ profile. The computed p value for the mentioned variables is lesser than the level of significant set forth for this study. Therefore, the null hypothesis has failed to reject.
The proposed policy aims to guide the students or Drill Instructors in choosing career tracks that they intend to pursue through informed career choice designed by the researcher.
ANALYSIS
The Philippine Coast Guard Drill instructors must refresh their knowledge and learn new skills from time to time in order to accomplish their jobs better. Both Drill Instructors and the PCG as a whole will gain from this position. Coast Guard Drill Instructors should be confident in their ability to increase efficiency and productivity while also exploring new avenues for personal growth and achievement.
The Philippine Coast Guard through CGETDC should provide Drill instructors with necessary continuous education and training program that they will need in order to accomplish the mission at their given assignment. After giving the right education and training, the Coast Guard through CGETD assures our Drill instructors that they will be given assignment and position corresponds to the knowledge and skills they have gained through continuous education and training program.
As Jalal et.al. (2016), mentioned in their study that a continuous education and training program is a key component for improving organizational performance because it reinforces the degree of competences of the personnel. It can also assist personnel in mastering their knowledge and abilities, as well as their behaviours, and in feeling appreciated and confident in their ability to execute successfully and efficiently in order to maintain organizational performance. As a result, investing in personnel education and training can result in improved organizational performance.
In order to achieve such visions above, it is more likely that the researcher would focus somehow on the perception towards the Coast Guard Drill Instructors training program in terms of: a.) Objectives; b.) Instructors and c.) Facilities based on the respondent’s answers.
In terms of Objectives, it is more likely that the organization would focus on; improving students’ attitudes and views about learning and transformation in the PCG organization. Giving emphasis to the student probably through more talks and mentoring about the importance of learning not just for them but for the whole PCG organization and improving social skills such as leadership and teamwork. In this area, it is appropriate that the facilitator of the education and training program should gave more time on group related activities and works in which each of them will have a chance to experience to become a leader and a follower. By then, it will drastically improve their individual leadership and teamwork. In such a way this will provide opportunities of growth and self-development to students and thereby to motivate them for promotion and other monetary benefits. In order to have this thing done preparing students for higher level tasks and build-up a second line of competent leaders. Giving such amount of load works with due date commensurate to finish the task will increase their confidence and boost their morale thus promoting them to become competent leaders.
In terms of Instructors, it is more evident that the organization would focus somehow on instructors that would discuss lessons suited to the student’s level of comprehension and understanding. It is more appropriate that the instructor would adjust to the level and comprehension of his students and not a vice-versa. Instructors should also use assessment evaluation relevant to the topic discussion. Lastly, allow enough time to set out and discuss the lessons to the students. With those things be given emphasis will reach out to the goals of the Command of producing competent Coast Guardians.
In terms of facilities, every training institution of the PCG would have the capability to have all available educational equipment and furniture, such as computers and libraries, as well as their condition (new, old, or extremely old) and immediate and short-term requirements are always on ready for use of the students. Aside from that, has classroom which is equipped with working emergency lighting systems in time of emergency and sudden block out. Lastly as an added security and protection as well, to have a working fire alarm system that complies with flammability and egress requirements for building occupants.
Lastly, the findings indicate that Drill Instructors need to have an established career pattern for their professional growth and development through continuous education and training program. As such, the importance of professional development for Drill Instructors mentioned that education is a never-ending process. It doesn’t stop after finishing a single course education and training program and being promoted to the next higher rank of their career. Through continuing education, career-minded Drill Instructors regardless of rank and length of service in the PCG can constantly improve their skills and become more proficient at their jobs.
DISCUSSION
In view of the above, upon reaching to the rank of SN2 / SW2, Drill Instructors should increase awareness about the Career Development Pattern designed for them. They should look for the opportunity for career growth advancement. Better yet, to accredit Coast Guard Drill Instructor Course as one of the Specialization Course to be taken by Drill Instructors.
The PCG organization should ensure that Coast Guard Drill Instructors have proper education and training to enable them to cope up with the duties and responsibilities commensurate to their rank. With that statement, it is recommended by the researcher to have a pool of instructors that will assist our Drill Instructors in carrying out their career growth and development suited with the right objectives of the courses taken in the conducive and well maintained educational and training facilities.
Drill Instructors should complete the education and training requirements needed in his or her equivalent rank and aspire to a higher assignment and thus be promoted to a higher rank.
The researcher hopes that all career decisions made by a specific Drill Instructor or the PCG organization as a whole will follow the career development pattern set forth exclusively for them, taking into account the objectives of the course and the pool of competent instructors assisting our DI’s. The interpretation of this study will be carried out as the reference of the future researcher for the conduct of a more differ studies about the establishment of career pattern of Philippine Coast Guard Drill Instructor through continuous education and training program.
Keywords: Establishing Career Pattern, Drill Instructors, Continuous Education, Training Program