Assumption College San Lorenzo is the first school in the Philippines to adopt international English proficiency certification standards under a 2005 agreement with Hopkins International Partners Inc. that committed the school to a partnership with the Promoting English Proficiency (PEP) project.
All Assumption College students and faculty are taking the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) developed by the world’s leading academic testing organization, the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey. TOEIC is taken each year by over four million persons around the global and is administered in the Philippines by Hopkins International Partners.
Firms in the Philippines are beginning to follow the example of multinationals around the world by using TOEIC for employment screening. TOEIC gives students and teachers the benefit of having a quantitative measure of their English aptitude. For example, a minimum score of 725 is required for the CGNS Certificate for a nursing position in the United States.
At the mid-February Job Fair at Assumption College a record turnout of 100 companies actively searched for potential hires. Representatives present from multinational firms such as Citibank, Convergys, IBM, HSBC, and Sykes expressed support for English certification, saying that it will factor into applicant evaluation. The favorable feedback for the TOEIC certification will likely encourage other colleges to follow suit.
Assumption and PEP agree that certification will enhance the marketability of new graduates as they enter the workforce. According to Tina Garcia of Assumption’s Career Management Office, "Certification will promote not only the use of English but also increase the competitiveness of our students."
PEP project co-chairman John Forbes observed "Assumption’s leadership in becoming the first college in the Philippines to adopt the TOEIC enhances the value of an Assumption education by providing students with an internationally-credible credential as they enter the competitive workplace." The PEP project is an initiative of the American Chamber of Commerce, the Makati Business Club and numerous other partners. Apart from certification, the project aims to improve the English proficiency of Filipinos through advocacy and refresher English training.
To learn more about TOEIC, visit www.toek-phil.com. or call Hopkins at tel. no. 895¬9944, or email toeic_makati@toeic-hopkins.com. Inquires concerning the PEP project may be directed to the PEP Project Secretariat at tel. no. 885-7867 ext. 485 or e-mail pep@sun.com.ph or www.promote-english.org.
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