Igniting a career-ready future with EDC-SIKAT scholar graduates

MANILA, Philippines — The transition from a controlled environment such as college to a competitive and dynamic professional realm is a critical and challenging path that every student must face upon graduation.

In an ever-evolving job market where hiring managers prioritize adaptable and versatile individuals, the pressure is on for college graduates to step up and show that they can offer more than just the average applicant – that is, their soft skills and the practical experiences acquired from their higher education.

First Gen-owned Energy Development Corp. (EDC) realizes this predicament all too well, largely for the scholar-graduates of its SIKAT Program. The company stresses the significance of post-graduation job readiness knowing that after graduation, the scholars usually find themselves jumping into the fire and ending up lost in the mayhem of first-time job seekers. Ill-prepared, they end up frustrated or worse, jobless. In reality, job hunting is as much about one’s skills and qualifications as it is about patience. Any applicant could be a ‘perfect’ candidate for a job and still not get it.

To address this situation, the country’s leading pure renewable energy firm developed Career Readiness Trainings tailored to assist their SIKAT scholar-graduates in cultivating essential skills and principles for employment. In collaboration with the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), the training materials cover aspects ranging from job searching and interview techniques to acclimating to their initial 90 days in their respective careers. The workshop is also followed by a graduation ceremony to celebrate the scholar-graduates’ remarkable milestone and recognize their achievements.

SIKAT is EDC’s banner education program that provides quality education to economically disadvantaged yet deserving students from its host communities in all sites through scholarship, which covers financial assistance and mentoring.

Rooted in EDC’s commitment toward creating educational equity for young individuals from impoverished, rural communities, the initiative aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills required for their future careers, enabling them to successfully complete their chosen courses and graduate from their selected universities.

Through SIKAT, scholars are also exposed to EDC’s advocacy toward environmental conservation and regenerative progress by means of pure, clean, and stable renewable energy such as geothermal. As a result, they seek out meaningful employment opportunities where they can translate their passion into purpose, carrying with them a profound dedication to sustainable practices and a determination to make a positive impact on the environment and society at large.

In 2023, the program produced 40 graduates across all their geothermal sites, as well as 11 graduates from the Obo Manobo indigenous community in Mindanao. Among them, five were magna cum laude graduates and 13 were cum laude graduates.

During their career readiness training and graduation ceremony with EDC, many graduates couldn’t help but express their gratitude for SIKAT, acknowledging the priceless support they received from the program throughout the years.