Negros Oriental State University and SPI Global, a leading Knowledge Process Outsourcing and Customer Relationship Management service provider in the world, entered into an agreement for SPI to provide technical and industry-level training and support for students and faculty members of NORSU.
University President Dr. Don Vicente C. Real led the signing of the MOA together with Suzanne Lu-Bascara, site director of SPI Global Dumaguete.
This development gives NORSU a leading industry partner in the implementation and development of its Service Management Program being the only state university in Region VII to be chosen by the Commission on Higher Education to implement the nation-wide Information-Technology Programs on Service Management for Business Process Outsourcing or Service Management Program. The SMP is implemented by the Information Technology Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philippines.
The CHED describes the SMP as an “18-month, P125 million project designed to help students in selected SUCs (across the country) acquire the skill sets and competencies needed for entry level positions and further career developments in the IT-BPO industry”. Its goal is to increase employability of graduating BA and IT students in areas identified as “Next Wave Cities” under the project.
These cities are those that hold the potential for further growth in various industries. Dumaguete City has been identified as a “Next Wave City” in the IT-BPO industry.
NORSU has revised the Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Information Technology curricula and is offering 21 units of SMP-aligned courses in line with CHED Memorandum Order No. 34. A 600-hour immersion or on-the-job training with a reputable BPO is required after the completion of the coursework which include subjects in Business Communications, Service Culture, Principles of Systems Thinking, and Fundamentals of Business Process Outsourcing 101 and 102.
With the signing of the MOA, NORSU students under the SMP are now guaranteed that their OJT experience will be spent with a leading IT-BPO company.
SPI Global is the winner of the European CEO Award as Best BPO Provider in Asia in 2013, and recognized as the Best Employer of the Year, and Best BPO Company of the Year by the International ICT Awards for 2014 and 2011, respectively.
The MOA sgning was witnessed by Jeroel Sibala of SPI Global, and members of the NORSU SMP Working Committee headed by Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Ester V. Tan. (IPO, NORSU)
