Workbased MBA: Learn At Your Own Space, At Your Own Pace
Member
Kathyreen Grace Rengalota
Local organization
JCI Naga Carinosa
National organization
Philippines
Member
Kathyreen Grace Rengalota
Duration
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Target
JCI members who wish to pursue MBA
Target population
25
Target avg age
30
People impacted
100
Objectif de développement durable
Accès à une education de qualité
Development stage
translation missing: fr.activerecord.attributes.project/development_stages.education_economic_empowerment
Purpose
The Work-Based MBA aimed to provide JCI members with an alternative graduate education solution that recognizes the workplace as the new campus which makes postgraduate learning:
ACCESSIBLE - graduate education happens right in the workspace of the students. They learn while they earn;
AUTHENTIC - learning activities are matched with their job’s Key Result Areas (KRAs) or institutional priorities; and
ACCELERATED - learners are allowed to take a maximum of fifteen (15) academic units per semester and finish within three (3) academic terms.
Overview
JCI Naga Cariñosa, in partnership with the University of Nueva Caceres School of Graduate Studies and Center for Adult and Lifelong Learning, an academic institution serving Bicolano learners for 74 years. It is the premier university in Southern Luzon. It has grown to be one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the country, nurturing close to 9,000 students, composed of kinder to Grade 12, to Graduate School, and School of Law students. It lives up to its brand promise of nurturing a better tomorrow for all. It has already produced graduates in various fields in both private and government agencies. Its Master in Business Administration degree program is the only Level III PACUCOA accredited program in Bicol.
The Work-Based MBA paved the way to open opportunities for all JCI members to graduate and earn a degree in Master in Business Administration (MBA) through a work-based modality in a span of one school year.
The Work-Based MBA aims to provide professionals with an alternative graduate education solution. It recognizes the workplace as the new campus, making postgraduate learning accessible, authentic, and accelerated. This is a good opportunity for an enrolled JCI member to learn, earn and thrive in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACCESSIBLE - Graduate education happens right in the workspace of the students. They learn while they earn;
AUTHENTIC - Learning activities are matched with their job’s Key Result Areas (KRAs) or institutional priorities; and
ACCELERATED - Learners are allowed to take a maximum of fifteen (15) academic units per semester and finish within three (3) academic terms.
This program has encouraged the involvement of ten (10) JCI Naga Cariñosa members. An assigned working committee was created: Immediate Past President (IPP) and the National Chairperson for JCI RISE, Mia Gomez as Chairperson; Executive Vice President (EVP) Angela Rebuquiao, as Co-Chairperson; Krystel Sales and VPE Chris Issa Meliton as members.
The Work-based MBA Program has also involved nine (9) members from other JCI Chapters as follows:
JCI Pili Isarog - Past President Roel Dela Rosa
JCI Naga Inc. - Marlo Barrameda, Charly Rosari, and Francia Valencia
JCI Iriga - Past President Charlotte Rabano, Melicent Dimaiwat, Winston Dimaiwat, Angeli Embestro, and Karla Florendo.
The Work-based MBA is open to all interested business professionals in the field, such as JCI members who wish to pursue or continue their MBA degree. They planned and implemented four (4) capstone projects:
PROJECT CONNECT “Linking the Islands to the Online Scale of Learning, Communicating and Earning” - a project which helped the 126 Oring National Senior High School Students with their need for internet accessibility by providing students and teachers access to the world-wide-web for educational purposes.
FATIMAkes: A Sustainable Livelihood Project for the Fatima Center Orphans - this project provided technical assistance through the conduct of training and workshops in improving products for sustainable livelihood of sixty-four (64) orphans that developed entrepreneurial mindset and marketing skills among them.
Pina-Angat Milaor - a project which has provided assistance to twenty (20) Pinangat Makers with training that equipped them for business.
Active Young Mentors - a program that aimed to impart acquired knowledge and skills from real-life business owners that encompasses not only theoretical basis but more so, practical and economical ways of starting and sustaining a business.
They were also able to learn from top universities and industry-leading companies through online courses offered by Coursera. This gave them the opportunity to engage in a global peer network, hence, the diversity of this engagement yielded greater perspectives and insight. By integrating basic research skills and practical experience, they also ended up showcasing a competitive portfolio. They were able to make a positive change to their individuality, the organization, and the community.
The Work-based MBA served as a gateway to encourage prospective members to join the JCI Naga Cariñosa and other JCI Chapters. With the opportunity to graduate from the MBA Program, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues of active members were invited to an organizational orientation. The Work-based MBA has fostered awareness of the JCI brand. It has introduced that JCI is way much more than that and has contributed to its ultimate goal of offering individuals the opportunity to create positive change. IPP Mia Gomez, the Project Chairperson /Faculty-in-Charge was given the Community Leadership Award during the 74th University Recognition Ceremony for demonstrating exemplary levels of leadership and community engagement.
It promoted JCI as a leadership organization that develops young enterprising leaders through reskilling, multi-skilling, and lifelong learning. A Memorandum of Understanding ceremonial signing was also held between the LO and LGU Milaor last July 15, 2022.
The Work-based MBA is a great way to prepare for a changing business environment. Being enrolled in the MBA program forced them to get out of their comfort zone and apply the newest management tools and techniques, including challenging themselves to improve their business, teams, and collaboration.
The students also had an access to an extensive business network. The two JCI groups who presented their Capstone Projects to the academic panel during their final defense last July 14, 2022, were given a Very Satisfactory rating.
Among the benefits of having an MBA degree are job security and a competitive salary. They can expect to earn twice as much as they would get from a regular university degree. Some have been promoted to a higher position and some have used their learning in the course to further improve their business operations. The versatility and diversity of having a master's degree are a good advantage for those preparing for a career switch and thriving business opportunities.
Results
The Work-based MBA served as a gateway to encourage prospective members to join the JCI Naga Cariñosa and other JCI Chapters. With the opportunity to graduate from the MBA Program, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues of active members were invited to an organizational orientation. Also, the online traffic caused by the promotions of the project also enticed young ladies to get to know more about the local organization and how they can be involved in its succeeding programs and activities. To date, there are thirteen (13) Baby Jaycees/New Members who joined and underwent the recruitment process of the local organization. This number is equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of the total number of members of the organization.
The Work-based MBA has contributed not just to the JCI Naga Cariñosa but also to other JCI Chapters. The JCI members who enrolled in the program were able to implement four sustainable community projects which provided opportunities for:
CAMARADERIE among members. The series of meetings for planning and execution of projects and programs improved the harmonious relationship of members of the organization.
MEDIA EXPOSURE of the JCI Naga Cariñosa in its social media account has strengthened. It brought more engagement and publicity.
EMPOWERING THE JCI MOVEMENT. The project was able to create good publicity in the name of the JCI Movement in Bicol and its neighboring provinces. More private companies and communities now see JCI as a non-profit civic organization that provides equal opportunities to all walks of life.
COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP. It has built a strong relationship anchored on trust and commitment in the communities.
SOLID COMMUNICATION. It has established solid internal and external communication. It is not just applicable to the members but also to its stakeholders and partners. The local organization ensured that the whole team shared a collective end goal and worked together to achieve it. The overall efficiency and productivity of the local organization significantly improved.
The project targeted membership growth in a systematic manner through having an onboarding plan. The new members were engaged in the local organization’s advocacies, strategies, and opportunities to participate in JCI’s grassroots effort toward building projects for the community. It also created a positive impact on how the members perceived the local organization.
The use of ads, social media posts, and word of mouth have drummed up the interest of prospective members. The local organization ensured that information posted online, through its Facebook Page highlighted its importance not just to its beneficiaries but also to its members and the community in general. In this way, the local organization was able to retain its members and recruit new members by elevating work from an industry survival and well-being perspective.
The Work-based MBA was able to deliver four (4) capstone projects which generated a financial surplus of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP 100,000) through the generous support of its partners and benefactors. These projects were able to help and provide assistance to the residents of Milaor, Caramoan, and Iriga City.
The Work-based MBA has primarily driven traffic on its social media platforms. The success of its implementation motivated current members to stay involved in the organization’s activities. It likewise attracted new members and created an interesting angle for media coverage. Indeed, it has increased the public’s awareness of what JCI Naga Cariñosa is and attracts future and potential members.
The Work-based MBA even motivated them to participate in the succeeding activities. With the right mix of enthusiasm and motivation from the project, current members gladly shared the FB posts with their friends and colleagues and these queries on the JCI Naga Cariñosa FB page on the recruitment process were entertained.
The Work-based MBA has fostered awareness of the JCI brand. It has introduced that JCI is way much more than that and has contributed to its ultimate goal of offering individuals the opportunity to create positive change. JCI Naga Cariñosa Immediate Past President Mia Gomez, the Project Chairperson/Faculty-in-Charge was given the Community Leadership Award during the 74th University Recognition Ceremony for demonstrating exemplary levels of leadership and community engagement.
It has marketed the brand in the most cost-effective way of reaching new supporters and gaining popular exposure through social media platforms. It has provided the best avenue in reaching a large number of people interested in the local organization. It has also been leveraged through peer-to-peer partnerships with other organizations such as the University of Nueva Caceres School of Graduate Studies, JCI Pili Isarog, JCI Naga Inc., and JCI Iriga whose objectives are similar to the project.
The JCI Naga Cariñosa initiated the partnership with the University of Nueva Caceres, an academic institution serving Bicolano learners for 74 years. It is the premier university in Southern Luzon. It has grown to be one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the country nurturing close to 9,000 students, composed of kinder to Grade 12, to Graduate school and School of Law students. In 2000, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines recognized its rich legacy and significant historical role in Bicol’s education. It lives up to its brand promise of nurturing a better tomorrow for all. It has already produced graduates in various fields in both private and government agencies. Its Master in Business Administration degree program is the only Level III PACUCOA accredited program in Bicol.
The Work-based MBA was also pitched to 16 Local Government Units in the province. This program has generated one hundred forty (140) potential enrollees. It promoted JCI as a leadership organization that develops young enterprising leaders through reskilling, multi-skilling, and lifelong learning. A Memorandum of Understanding ceremonial signing was also held between the LO and LGU Milaor last July 15, 2022.
The promotion of the project was flexible and likewise reflected the unique and compelling brand of JCI. The marketing paraphernalia used the JCI logo and colors. It was easily recognized as it was posted across various communication channels like email, social media, and direct mail.
Recommendations
The JCI Naga Cariñosa shall perform the following changes to improve the results of the project:
It shall enhance its leadership and managerial capabilities and become motivated in conducting more sustainable programs in partnership with the local government units, academic institutions, and other civic organizations.
It shall collaboratively work with the academic institution in revisiting the curriculum and curating lectures in such a way that JCI members can benefit more from the program. This will be achieved through incorporating training on project proposal writing, project management, financial management, effective communication, business ethics, organizational behavior, marketing, and the like.
It shall promote the MBA program to other JCI chapters to encourage more members to explore the learning opportunity.
It shall organize a forum where JCI members can present their capstone projects for wider information dissemination and awareness of the JCI brand.
It shall provide strong hands-on training for leadership development to develop a better understanding of human nature and group dynamics that provide the basis for better forecasting and leading situations.
It shall benchmark with other business schools to support continuous improvement of the Work-based MBA program through a combination of internal review and external assessment. This will bring out new methods, ideas, and systems to improve curriculum effectiveness.
Contact
University of Nueva Caceres Graduate Studies