ABSTRACT
This study aimed to increase the work immersion program readiness of grade 12 TVL-ICT students through intervention activities in terms of work ethics, safety in the workplace, workplace rights and responsibilities, confidentiality in the workplace, and effective conflict resolution and teamwork skills. A quantitative approach using a descriptive design was proposed for this study with questionnaires used as data collection method and no sampling was performed as all forty-one students from TVL-ICT Grade 12 GUI class were surveyed. Students from of Grade 12 TVL ICT “agree” that they are ready for Work Immersion Program. However, the findings revealed that the students experienced challenges in their readiness in Work Immersion Program. These are lack of pre-work Immersion training/symposium, insufficient ideas on the concept of Work Immersion, considering a Work Immersion Program as a non-valuable subject, lack of interest in Work Immersion Program, lack of motivation from the Immersion teacher, and unfamiliarity on the nature of work. The intervention activities to increase the Work Immersion Program readiness of grade 12 TVL-ICT students through intervention activities can contribute to meet the challenges. These activities are: Ethics Tactics, Safety Smart Symposium (SSS), Rights Or/And Responsibility Symposium (ROAR Symposium), Secure and Repeat Training (SECRET), School Learning Action Cell (SLAC), and Informed, Keen, and Nimbly Optimized for Work (IKNOW) The enhancement plan increased the Work Immersion Program readiness of Grade 12 TVL-ICT students through intervention activities. It is recommended that all sections from TVL-ICT students should be used as respondents. Also, there could be more variables/indicators to better assess the Grade 12 TVL-ICT students in their Work Immersion Program readiness. Teacher’s assessment and opinion about the Grade 12 TVL-ICT students’ readiness towards Immersion should also be included in the gathering of data, and a comparative survey to the respondents before the enhancement plan could be executed and after it has been implemented.
Keywords: Work Immersion, Senior High School, competence, intervention, human relations
Introduction
Republic Act 10533 also known as the Enhanced Basic Education K to 12 Curriculum is now implemented in Grade 12. It is an act enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System by strengthening its curriculum and increasing the number of years for basic education, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes. It refers to the part of the Senior High School Immersion Curriculum consisting to conduct the Pre-Immersion orientation, helping the students in securing and accomplishing forms, validating the accomplished forms, providing a checklist containing things to do and documents needed for Pre-Immersion, during, and after Immersion. Through Work Immersion, Grade 12 students are exposed to and become familiarized with work-related environment which is related to their field of specialization to develop their competence. The students are able to gain appropriate and practical industrial skills under the dance of industry supervisors, experts and workers. They also learn to appreciate the significance and application of the principles and theories taught by their teachers in school, especially when the pre-immersion orientation is conducted. These prepare them to meet the needs and challenges of future employment or higher education after graduation.
TVL Grade 12 students are the ones who are very much excited, if not the most, when it comes to Work Immersion. This is especially because they have the privilege to apply for jobs right after the graduation. As a teacher, it is also our pleasure to bring the best out of them. It may be challenging at times, especially if the students do not seem to be ready when they get deployed for Immersion. It is our task therefore; to enhance the activities we carry out as we introduce work immersion to Grade 12 students. Work Immersion, as stated in K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum for Senior High School is one of the course requirements for Senior High School. A TVL student has to undergo Work Immersion in an industry that directly relates to the student’s postsecondary goal. For too long, teachers have focused only on getting the learners ready for the next test, the next grade, next graduation, college and so on. Students must be really prepared to succeed in school, but it is much highly important that these learners are prepared to succeed in real world (Hoerr, 2013). ICT students are the ones mostly exposed to digital usage and spend most of their time in socializing through the virtual world which may hinder them from knowing how to communicate effectively during their immersion especially in handling occurrences of difficulties (Celente, 1997).
Pantalan Senior High School caters TVL-ICT strand and there have been some challenges in helping the immersionists become prepared as they get deployed for their Work Immersion. Students lack pre-work Immersion training/symposium as well as ideas on the concept of work immersion. Some even consider a Work Immersion Program as a non-valuable subject and lack of interest in Work Immersion Program. They also get very minimal motivation from the Immersion teacher and shows unfamiliarity on the nature of work. Their level of readiness particularly in ethics, safety, rights and responsibilities, confidentiality, effective conflict resolution and teamwork skills are to be strengthen and therefore to come up with intervention activities to meet the challenges.
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