In the July 2010 Labor Force Survey, 2.7 million Filipinos were revealed to be unemployed and 6.5 million were underemployed. Encouraged to reduce these figures, FEU-East Asia College joined the Inter – Ed Exhibit 2010 which carried this year’s theme: “A Brave New World: Preparing High School Students for the World of Work – Battling Skills Mismatch vs. Unemployment” held on September 16 and 17, 2010 at the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC).

Thousands of High School students from hundreds of schools benefited from this event which aimed to help them choose the best degree program that will suit them. Exhibitors exerted their best effort by showcasing their institutions and by presenting variety of career choices to assist these students. They designed booths replete with student-enticing activities that caught every student’s attention, and which made their institutions more remarkable. Among these activities include photo stations, singing booths, online games, makeup and hair styling, and interactive robots. Our College offered personalized button pins which was a blockbuster to High School students. They patiently waited and lined up even for hours just to get one of those pins. At the end of the day, most participants were seen with iTam pins attached to their shirts or bags.

In addition to the exhibit, every institution was granted a 40-minute talk to present different career choices and programs for the students. These provided the students ideas of what to take during college. Bagging several toppers for Civil Engineering (CE) board examinations, FEU-East Asia College provided a talk highlighting its CE curriculum. Marion Evangelista, an AERO Associate, delivered the talk filled with information regarding work description as well as opportunities students can encounter with CE.

Exhibitors also had the chance to display exemplary performances of their students. Some displayed wine mixing and bar tending, cheering squad, ethnic dances, and costume plays. FEU-East Asia College, for its part, had its Computer Engineering Department’s ‘Boe-Bots’ which did not just entertain the students but also demonstrated and displayed the wonders of technology. These small light-sensing cars, which aimed to reach the finish line with less bumps on styrofoam blocks, were controlled by students.

The two-day exhibit filled the students with good memories and experiences. Moreover, the event became a good learning ground for students to prepare them in the world of work. The exhibitors’ endeavor in their battle against unemployment and underemployment equipped the students with good battle gears. These will enable them to make good choices that will lead them to a triumphant future.