Project WHARF 2024: giving back to CHTM Alumni community
Last August 21, 2024, the Alumni Association of College of Hospitality and Tourism Management – Gordon College (AAC-GC) conducts a job fair activity entitled Project WHARF 2024: Workforce Hiring and Recruitment Fair at Gordon College Function Hall, which aims to give back to the CHTM Alumni community by finding job opportunities aligned for them.
To begin with, Ms. Jenny Mae Lagman, the president of CHTM Alumni Association gave opening remarks with a warm greeting welcome the participants to the job fair.
In partnership with the Iโve Productions of CHTM, Olongapo City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and Work Abroad, around 19 participating industries have joined the workforce hiring fair.
๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ
Meanwhile, Mr. Mario Esquillo, the head of Olongapo City PESO, stated that they truly support this kind of school activity.
Mr. Esquillo also said that the employment will be easier because it started from the academe itself.
โTruly support lang po kami at naniniwala kami pag laging ganito po ang mga eskwelahan, madali po ang employment. Kasi directly from the academe, mula sa kanilang pagtuturo diretso na sa pag i-employ,โ the head of PESO stated.
He also encouraged the attendees that they must not lose the chance to grab the opportunity to know the employers and make sure to utilize it to establish their network.
In an interview with The Forefront, Ms. Patricia Ann Ecalnir, the event manager of Iโve Production, said that this event will benefit the participants especially those alumni that are looking for job opportunities including fresh graduates.
According to Ms. Ecalnir, a total of 80 participants from alumni and an estimated 120 participants from the students they invited attended the said job fair.
In another interview with the student publication, Mr. Benjamin Florencio Jr., the Labor Market Information (LIM) officer of PESO Olongapo said that the available job vacancies include hospitality, food industry, hotel, and resource staff.
Additionally, there are offerings abroad for food service staff and skilled workers.
Moreover, the LIM officer of PESO said that the participating industries are also in need of accounting staff , an in-demand job nowadays.
The PESO officer also mentioned that some fresh graduates want a job that is aligned with their degree in order to avoid job mismatch. He also pointed out that it is one of the reasons why there is unemployment among the fresh graduates.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
Additionally, Mr. Florencio also gave advice for the first time job seekers to grab the available opportunities to have work background.
โPara magkaroon sila kahit experience man lang, [kaunting] experience. Para, โpag nakita nila yung position na target nila, meron na silang work experience na pwede ng i-support para dun sa [pag-apply] nila doon sa preferred position nila na related na doon sa pinag-aralan,โ he stated.
Lastly, he also said that this partnership of Gordon College with PESO is a good start because their office is also planning to put up Job Placement Offices (JPO) in different schools within Olongapo, like GC, to make the schools be capacitated and be easier for students to find job opportunities after graduation.
: Carlos Angelo Agustin | News Editor
: Jasmine Shameer | Photojournalist
: Isaac Leon | Head of Visual Arts
