St.  Paul University Philippines (SPUP) conducted the PATHWAY training program on Soft Skills on Employability on May 30, 2023, at the SPUP Global Center. Facilitated by Dr. Jeremy Godofredo Morales, (Director, Internationalization) the activity was participated in by graduating college and senior high school students.

The session was formally opened through the inspirational message of Sr. Merceditas Ang, SPC, (University President). She emphasized the importance of putting an effort in developing and enhancing one’s soft skills equal to that of honing hard skills, especially in venturing to jobs in the 4th industrial revolution. She also shared a list of soft skills that are needed in a workplace such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Four (4) various speakers were invited to further expand the topic on employability. Dr. Allan Peejay Lappay (Director, Alumni, External Relations, and Advocacies) spoke on “Forming Ethical Mindset” – that he linked into SPUP’s core values as Paulinian emblems to inhabit ethical behaviors and practices. On the other hand, Dr. Teresita Lasam (Director, Student Affairs and Academic Support Services) talked on “Developing Motivational Skills”. She focused on differentiating intrinsic and extrinsic motivations; concluding that a balance of both guarantees absolute motivation. Meanwhile, Dr. Juana River (Director, Human Resource) tackled the topic “Igniting Negotiating Skills”. In her sharing, good oral and written communication were emphasized. She also highlighted confidence, body language, and emotional intelligence as supplementing tools to assist one’s means of communication, especially in negotiating.  Moreover, Mr. Rucelj Pugeda (Adviser, Paulinian Student Government), shared key points on “Fostering Networking Skills”. He established the vital role of collaboration in networking, while referencing to his leadership experiences in college. He then encouraged students to associate themselves in clubs and organizations, which can be their respective training grounds to master networking.

A workshop on soft skills was held after the talks, where students and faculty members were also given the opportunity to share their key learnings and realizations from the session. The PATHWAY Project is a program that promotes employability and entrepreneurship of Higher Education graduates through innovative ways in the Philippines. This project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, where in SPUP is one of the five (5) universities in the Philippines that carries out the said program.//Yowelle Chelle Sedano-SPUP