Mapua engineers to receive 2 int’l credentials

MANILA, Philippines -In 2015, it is projected that university graduates from the Philippines will have the option to seek employment in the ASEAN region without needing a work visa. Graduates will need credentials that show prospective employers that they have the needed technical competence, and the ability to communicate in the workplace.

Having already passed the ABET accreditation to ensure that engineering degrees will be recognized in the ASEAN region, Mapua chose the TOEIC tests to certify the communication skills of all its graduates. Mapua becomes the first university in the Philippines to certify all four skills of English, namely: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.

The TOEIC test is the most widely recognized credential for English in the workplace with 7 million test takers a year in over 140 countries. With the TOEIC Test, candidates are now able to demonstrate to prospective employers that they have the ability to communicate in English as it is spoken, written and heard in the global workplace. 
“We hope that with this endeavor [of signing an agreement with Hopkins] that we had, the English proficiency of all Mapuans will greatly improve. Also, we see that this will attest that Mapuans do not just excel in Mathematics, but in English Communication as well,” said Center for Continuing Education and Special Competencies (CCESC) director, Engr. Glenn Avendaño.

During the 2012-2013 school year, 911 students from both the Mapua Makati and Intramuros campuses took the TOEIC Listening & Reading test, as well the TOEIC Speaking & Writing tests. This year, all engineering students taking their Eng13 (terminal English course) from Mapua will receive two international credentials, namely: a degree that is recognized by ABET and a TOEIC certification for their communication skills.

The results so far have been encouraging as nine Mapua students received a perfect TOEIC® score. In addition, 96% of students stated in a survey that they valued their TOEIC score. These strong results demonstrate to employers worldwide that Mapua graduates have the 21st century skills and global outlook needed to compete in today’s international workplace.