DLA Work Immersion in the New Normal

By Royce Alistaire Posadas

The work immersion has been a requirement for Senior High School since its implementation. Work immersion has been conducted through online means since last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CREOTEC Inc. is a training and learning-based company located in Biñan, Laguna. They are the pioneer in the implementation of having a dedicated facility for work immersion and was recognized by DEPED Biñan as one of the top partners to conduct work immersion. The company has been working with Divine Light Academy - Bacoor these past four years for the work immersion of the Grade 12 students.

The CREOTEC work immersion program lasted for 10 days which started on the 20th of September and ended on the 4th of October, 2021.

Their work immersion program consists of three parts: (1) The orientation which consists of understanding business and industry practices, discipline and skills for the Work From Home (WFH) setup; (2) Preparation for industry work; (3) Work assignments and evaluation.

Here are some of the Grade 12 students’ feedbacks of the past work immersion:

“The two weeks I spent at CREOTEC PH were difficult. We're swamped with tasks and modules. It has been a stressful week. I believe that one of the reasons I did not enjoy my work immersion was because of the learning environment that we have in place as a result of the pandemic. Maybe I'll appreciate it more if we train directly at their firm, as is typical of work immersion.” - STEM Student

“Due to Creotec Philippines' Work Immersion Program, I experienced working online. And I have to say it was really challenging since I haven't experienced working before, especially in a work-from-home setup. I just wish that it could have been face-to-face since I heard from my sister that it was a memorable experience for her because they worked and socialized with other schools. However, the work immersion program still helped me improve my skills. During the work immersion, I became the leader of our group, and it was a good thing since I learned how to establish good working relationships by communicating with my teammates. All our efforts paid off since we accomplished all the tasks given to us for two weeks.

Creotec Philippines' Work Immersion Program did not just help me gain experience in work, but it also made me reflect on how workers nowadays face the struggles and challenges of working at home.” - STEM Student

“Within the two-week work immersion program held by Creotec, I was able to develop my working habits, which greatly improved the way I handle my school activities and requirements. Creotec gave the immersion learners adequate time to adjust as we transitioned from beginners learning the basics to being employees assigned in different departments. I would say that within those two weeks, I was refreshed from the amount of school work, I gained knowledge about the significant values and things to consider when you are a full-time employee, and I was able to find the ideal time management technique that worked well for me. The program was definitely an eye-opener — one that would make you determine the difference between school and work, and a place wherein you’ll realize the mindset and the struggles faced by employees especially in a work-from-home set-up.” - STEM Student

“I can say that our work immersion was successful, because not only did we accomplish the 80-hour work immersion but I learned a lot from the program. It taught us the basic things that we must learn, from how one should present one’s self to basic etiquettes. The knowledge and skills that we have acquired served as a head start for us, who are entering adulthood and college without the actual “experience”. Creotec surely made our work immersion memorable.” - HUMSS Student

“Working under CREOTEC Philippines, Inc. for 2 weeks was actually a privilege for a grade 12 student like me. The tasks allocated to our department were really engaging given that we were able to encode and program certain applications like the BMI calculator under the MIT App Inventor. The activities truly honed my skills and capabilities, so I hope that I’ll get to apply these learnings when face-to-face interactions are no longer limited.” - STEM Student

“Participating in the 10-Day CREOTEC Work Immersion program made me switch off everything about being a student. Even if we only had it virtually, I still got to experience working as a professional. It made me realize that having a career, especially in a field that involves connecting and communicating with a lot of people, requires emotional strength and practical decision making. I learned to be independent and street smart or “madiskarte”. My most important take-away from the program would be that the real world is tough and your inner competitive spirit will definitely be your armor.” - Dylan Rose Antonio, HUMSS Student

“The work immersion program was quite challenging. You'd expect that the supervisors would guide you every step of the way, yet they would only provide instructions and let you work. I guess they are preparing the immersion learners on how a real workplace operates where you only have yourself to depend on. A lesson I've learned in the immersion that I could apply in real life would be to slow down and to try and consume all the experiences, knowledge, and lessons that I'd gain.” - Alexandra Holgado, ABM Student

“As one of the Work Immersion Learners, I can say that Creotec's Work Immersion Program provided us with significant things that we can use and utilize in the present and definitely in the future, especially when we are already working at our desired job as we are exposed to and become familiar with work-related environments associated to our field of specialization. In addition, I believe I have improved my cognitive and problem-solving abilities. It's a wonderful experience, and I'm grateful that our school kept work immersion going despite the fact that we're in the middle of a pandemic.” - Marcus Daryl Antonio, STEM Student

“Throughout CREOTEC’s 80-hour work immersion program, I was extensively immersed in the different elements encompassing business and corporate entities. CREOTEC Philippines Inc. indeed upholds and is committed to its mission of providing shared value through accessible, industry-relevant, and distinctive learning innovations. As an immersion learner, I can affirm such a company’s fundamental principle since it helped me gain substantial experience that I can utilize in the future to establish a fruitful career in a reputable organization. In two weeks, this immersive program of such an outstanding company made me obtain numerous key concepts that undoubtedly influenced my entrepreneurial mindset. In addition, these influences also made me delve into my technical competencies as an individual that deals with my strengths and weaknesses at present. It cultivated and improved my overall individual aspects, precisely my communication skills. Taking everything into account, this 80-hour work immersion program is essential for senior high school students since it entails individual development that paves the way for the establishment of profound skills that are inclined in a professional working environment. CREOTEC’s work immersion program instilled a mindset to step out of my comfort zone and learn first as a financial advantage before removing the letter L. Therefore, I utilize work to learn, not to earn, for wealth is the side effect of literacy.“ - Manuel Moises Varias, STEM Student