There is no question that the real world works entirely different from the inside of a classroom– where textbook theories come to life, and experience becomes a relentless teacher. To help ensure that graduates have increased competence and will be efficient members of the workforce, JCVA, an esteemed Construction Project Management firm in the country, provides a series of career-preparation initiatives that help pave a more solid path for future graduates.
With the goal of supporting a thousand professionals in the next ten years, JCVA spearheads several programs to enable a strong and confident start in the journey of budding engineers and architects.
Building Industry Competence with Work-based Learning
The job market has always been cutthroat and competitive. It is a fact more glaring to fresh graduates whose education has been burdened by unexpected shifts brought by the pandemic. On the other hand, the academe is cognizant of the need to consistently evolve alongside the dynamic advancement of the engineering profession.
Bridging this gap, JCVA forges partnerships with universities such as the University of the Philippines to ensure that there are opportunities to further augment students’ learning with real-life experience. JCVA will be granting two full scholarships to BS Civil Engineering students of University of the Philippines Diliman for the academic year and will open opportunities to promising students to join their Formworx jr. internship program.
Offering a venue for students to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to real-world projects, Formworx jr. is a 3–6 month intensive internship program offered by JCVA to all graduating engineering students from various universities to help in their construction careers. Through Formworx jr., students get an immersive experience of the various aspects of the construction industry from esteemed professionals in the project management track, marketing and business development track, and even people management track.
“Students lack exposure to how the field of project management works outside the four corners of the classroom. What engineering students currently need is a window of opportunity where they can have a firsthand experience of the industry that awaits them, which we are very much willing to help provide,” says Jason Valderrama, JCVA CEO & Founder.
”Partnerships with industry spearheads such as JCVA will help bridge the practical experience and industry exposure with the usual learning environment of students. This also leads to the development of relevant skill sets and industry competence, giving them an edge as they set out in the real world,” Professor Jaime Angelo Victor of the University of the Philippines Institute of Civil Engineering says.
Prioritizing Student Wellness for Holistic Learning
Actions taken on prioritizing the mental and psychological well-being of students continue to move in the positive direction, an endeavor both UP ICE and JCVA want to take part in through its UP ICE Student Lounge and Student Wellness Room.
Designed to promote collaborative learning and social interaction through its conducive environment and interactive setup, the UP ICE Student Lounge is a multi-purpose area for studying and resting. It allows students free access to a variety of resources such as academic references and non-academic books (e.g. self-help books, references for soft skills development, etc.). The student lounge also features furniture that promotes relaxation and good posture which are important aspects of our daily lives.
A highlight feature of the student lounge is the SWELL Room. The SWELL Room is a space that will allow face-to-face consultations with psychosocial professionals. This will reinforce the college’s efforts in providing support regarding mental health issues and removing the stigma on seeking professional help.
Valderrama says, “There is always this wall of differences that separates different generations from each other. As employers, we are tasked to breach that wall and understand that new generations will come from entirely different sets of backgrounds and experiences. In JCVA, we fully understand this, and we consistently promote mental health awareness not only to our team but also to the community. We believe that people can achieve the best versions of themselves through enriching their overall wellbeing.”
JCVA’s partnership with UP ICE is just the beginning. Empowered by the belief that providing student-centric support today means supporting the foundation of the future, the company will continue to fortify the support that students are receiving by giving back to where its foundation first originated.
