Exploring 21st-Century Skills and Competencies of Information Technology On-the-Job Trainees: Basis for Program Enhancement

Abstract

Workplace exposure thru On-the-Job Training is designed to practice in a real environment the skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom and are further enhanced in the training workplace. The research looked at the 21st-century skills and competencies of the 112 senior On-the-Job Trainees of Cagayan State University, Aparri, Cagayan, Philippines, their OJT performances as well as issues on OJT. The descriptive-survey method using a survey-questionnaire with interviews was utilized. The questionnaire was adopted from CHED CMO 53 s2006 and in related literatures. Document analysis was conducted to obtain performance and qualitative data based on the duly-certified OJT reports submitted. Majority of the respondents were females, taken courses along multi-media track (56.25%), and obtained a satisfactory remark along IT Professional (86.88) and communication (86.44) subjects respectively. Most of the respondents were deployed either along regional and provincial government offices and were generally performing excellently during their 486 hours training. The self-assessed skills developed during the on-the-job training revealed a very satisfactory team-related (4.0), communication (3.85), analytical (3.52), and leadership skills (3.72) and interpersonal skills (4.05) respectively, however, with satisfactory (3.40) conceptual skills, Along CMO-based skills and IT competencies, the respondents disposed a satisfactory (3.19) personal skills, interpersonal skills (3.26), and satisfactory remark along technical understanding (2.94). The 21st-century skills and IT competencies of the On-the-Job trainees was being improved further from the learning competencies in the classroom and the actual learning experiences in the cooperating agencies. On-the-Job Training program provided a holistic experience to students to further advanced the skills and job competencies of future Information Technology professionals.