Effectiveness of the competency standards of food and beverage services NC II training in the performance of certified passers in Western Visayas

Abstract

According to the Philippine Department of Tourism (2003), industry practitioners complain of the hospitality graduates whose knowledge and skills are inadequate that six month industry immersion is necessary industry knowledge to immediately fill the rank and file positions of the industry. There are large discrepancies between formal training and employer demands in the hospitality industry and underscores the direct link to education in the fact it was discussed in the 2004 Annual COHREP Convention, that the problem of the Bachelor of Science in the Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM) graduates nowadays is that they lack competencies needed for the profession. According to the Philippines Department of Tourism(2003), industry practitioners complain of the hospitality graduates whose knowledge and skills are inadequate that six month industry immersion is necessary industry knowledge to immediately fill the rank and file positions of the industry. Hospitality education must now redefine their curricular focus to meet the perceived needs of the industry. Hospitality education needs to research and then formalize a curricular response to the dynamic nature of today’s hospitality industry. Thus, an industry based research focusing on a demand driven system to be able to produce competent industry recognized graduates ready for the workplace. To answer the concern and issues between what is taught in the school and what is needed in the industry/workplace, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has launched, through Executive Order No. 358 entitled, “To Institutionalize a Ladderized Interface Between Technical-Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) and higher Education (HE) in September 15, 2004 which mandates TESDA and CHED to develop and implement a unified national qualifications framework that establishes equivalency pathways and access ramps for easier transitions and progression between TVET and higher education. The Philippine National Qualifications Framework (PNQF) qualifications will be consistent nationally benchmarked to ensure confidence from national and international stakeholders. The competency standards in the CMO No. 30, 2006, include (1) skill, competencies and the personal qualities and (2) professional and specific competencies. The specific profession upon the completion of the program includes, entry-level jobs and advance office positions, which are supervisory in the nature. The curriculum outline for the BSHRM comprises fifty-one (51) units of General Educations Courses, twenty one (21) units business Core, twenty-two (22) units Tourism Core, thirty-six (36) units Specialized Subjects which are further broken down to required major subjects and free professional subjects, and seven (7) units of Practicum. The required major subjects are banquet function catering services procedures, housekeeping procedure, food and beverage control systems. TESDA has already developed Training Regulations (TR) for the procedural subjects however; TESDA has no existing TR’s for the management and control subjects which are generally offered on the third year of schooling considering that it falls under the Higher Education. It is on this premise that the researcher chose to determine the effectiveness of the competency standards of Food and Beverage Services NC II training in the performance of certified passers and enhance policy inputs in the existing Food and beverage Services NC II Training. Research Locale The locale of the study was focused on the Western Visayas Region 6 which composed of five provinces like, Aklan Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental. Each Province has TESDA training centers and TESDA provincial office that caters the trainees for different qualifications in respected area of competency. The TESDA provides Training Regulations (TR) for the competency standards of the industry workforce. Through the years, the implementation of TESDA Ladderized program is the word of mouth of the Industry and private and public Institutions. Essentially, the Ladderized System caters to the multitude of Filipinos who can not afford a College Education, or complete Technical-Vocational Education and Training courses, and enter Job Platforms that will provide ladders of competencies, allowing them to rise to College Degree Programs or up to the optimum levels of individual achievement. The Philippine Government believes that through the assessment of industry practitioner, the quality of services of the employee wills maintain. The Oversight Commissioner on Ladderized Education, Dr. Nona S. Ricafort, further mentioned that, the revised programs objective is (1) to produce graduates that will manage to survive in the borderless economy. (2) to develop a curriculum that is market-driven in terms of content and structure rather than supply-driven. (3) to develop a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of the industry with the emphasis on the competencies. And (4) to produce a curriculum that complies with the international standards and practices particularly the general Agreement on Trades and Services (GATS) of the World Trade Organization. Statement of the Problem This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the competency standards of food and beverage services NC II in the performance of certified passers in Western Visayas. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the certified Food and Beverage Services NC II passers and their employers in terms of: 1.1 Educational Attainment; 1.2 Employer; 1.3 Job Position/Rank; 1.4 Monthly Salary; 1.5 Place of Employment; and 1.6 Length of Service. 2. How effective is the competency standards of Food and Beverage NC II as rated by the certified passers and their employers in terms of : 2. 1 Basic Competencies; 2. 2 Common Competencies; and 2. 3 Core Competencies 3. Is there a significant difference between the ratings of the certified passers and their employers? 4. What are the issues and concerns on the Food and Beverage Services NC II training? 5. What are the issues and concerns on the conduct of competency assessment? 6. Based on the findings, what policy inputs can be proposed to strengthen the existing competency standards of Food and Beverage Services NC II training?