BUKIDNON STATE UNIVERSITY
Malaybalay City, Bukidnon 8700
Tel (088) 813-5661 to 5663; Telefax (088) 813-2717, www.buksu.edu.ph
College of Administration
Government Affairs Department
NARRATIVE REPORT
1st Semester, SY 2020 – 2021
Ma. Louise Belle B. Micayabas
submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the course
Public Administration 116- Internship in Government Administration
Bukidnon State University
April 30, 2020
Introduction
On the Job Training (OJT) is primarily defined as teaching the skills,
knowledge, and competencies that are needed for employees to perform a
specific job within the workplace and work environment. As a training
program for students, an OJT is designed to immerse learners in work
environments relevant to their area of study in order to facilitate knowledge
on, productivity in, and respect for the workplace. By applying the
principles, ideas, and theories learned in the classroom, it enables them to
level up their technical skills, knowledge, and attitude towards work.
Technically, it is a structured experience that enhances a student's
academic, career and professional development. In a nutshell, an OJT is the
highlight of a student’s academic journey. This supervised internship aids
the students to acquire relevant knowledge and skills through the actual
experience of working in the field of their profession. Essentially, their
workplace and environment becomes a new venue of learning. An On the
Job Training provides a strong foundation in preparing the students for
their future careers and employment.
For this semester, our On the Job Training is different from the usual
traditional internship. Since we are still in the middle of a coronavirus
pandemic, our internship is a Work from Home OJT. It is a modified virtual
internship, flexible and retrofitted for us trainees. This set up is a safe
alternative to traditional in-person internships considering the growing
threat of the deadly Coronavirus - 19(COVID-19). Our Work from Home OJT
allows us to experience a remote work environment at the comfort of our
homes.
The
Government
Affairs
Department
under
the
College
of
Administration will be our place of internship. Our instructor, Maam Rona
Celeste V. Pasamonte will serve as our supervisor. An orientation prior to
our formal Work from Home OJT was conducted informing us of our tasks
and responsibilities. We are still required to report on a daily basis. We are
to meet virtually with our instructor to discuss projects and progress. All of
our daily tasks and assigned work are to be submitted online.
Challenges Experienced
On the first assignment, the trainee encountered a few setbacks in
searching for a suitable government agency that enacted a COVID-19
contingency plan. This dilemma was further amplified with the College of
Administration's policy prohibiting students to visit any government office
for academic related activities. The trainee will have to settle for the research
materials available online. Unfortunately, there were only a handful of
government websites that were updated. The trainee opted for a non
government organization (NGO) widely recognized for its significant role in
the coordination of Covid-19 responses to both national government
agencies and local government units.
On the second assignment, the trainee was assigned to write the
journal for the tracer study. Since the data retrieved from the group leaders
was still in its raw format, the trainee manually tabulated and arranged all
of the respondent's answers into different charts. The entire process had to
be repeated twice as there were a few inconsistencies. The trainee
experienced a few difficulties in writing the journal for the tracer study.
First, how to properly construct the parts of the journal given the limited
scope of the study and availability of published studies. Most graduate
tracer studies employ complex structured parts for
evaluating the
whereabouts of their graduates. The trainee made several revisions before
finally settling for a compounded format. Second, was in interpreting the
gathered data through frequencies and percentage. Given the limited
number of related tracer studies online, the trainee ensured that all of the
results are carefully interpreted as it is. Reading previous studies provided
comfort in knowing that there are a variety of valid reasons for such results.
Finally, the trainee wanted the data to be concise and easily read. This
entailed hours of realigning the tables and numbers as it was also important
for the data to be presented in a visually appealing way.
Learning Experiences
•
PA114 – Research Methods
The trainee learned that just like any research study, this task calls
for utmost patience, resilience and sacrifice. There will be plenty of late
nights, retrieval delays and numerous revisions. Considering the trainee's
high regard for real time results, this reality of research proved to be very
challenging. The trainee opted to work with an expanded time plan in order
to adjust the days for data retrieval. A weekly coordination with the assigned
group leaders proved to be more helpful in organizing and building retrieved
data. In research class, students are encouraged not to practice the cardinal
sins in academia - plagiarism, falsifying data, and trying to match data with
conclusions. The trainee continues to uphold this ethical rule in research.
Writing the journal for the tracer study was no easy feat for the trainee as it
required extensive reading. Several nights were spent reading various
literatures that could support the results of the study. The trainee decided
to manually draft the journal in sections as not to be end up overwhelmed
with all manner of literature. By this time, the trainee reaffirms that
research indeed should be a systematic approach by completing the journal
step by step.
•
PA124 – Leadership and Decision Making
The trainee validates that an On the Job Training experience help
students to improve performance at work place. A leadership style can
influence the culture of the group which, in turn, influences the group's
performance. The trainee learned that formulating and implementing
effective leadership strategies are necessary for tasks to be completed on
time. When there are deadlines to beat, it is best to work as a team in order
to increase productivity. Even if the trainee is assigned to work solely on the
journal, there is still a definite need to be working alongside with the
assigned groups. Developing proper communication skills, allowing room for
shortcomings and exercising conflict management were the key strategies
that the trainee applied. Our classes on Leadership taught us that leaders
tap the knowledge and skills of a group, point individuals toward a common
goal in order to achieve results. The trainee believes that leaders and
members should inspire, persuade, and encourage one another.
•
SS101 – General Psychology
Previous classes in Psychology described anxiety as an emotion
characterized of feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes
like increased blood pressure. Often times, people with this kind of anxiety
have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They usually avoid certain
situations out of worry. The trainee suffers from chronic anxiety clinically
diagnosed as a form of Social Anxiety Disorder. Persistent fear and selfdoubt can hugely affect one's performance in an internship setting. Selfdoubt occurs when the trainee lacks confidence or feels incapable of doing
things that need to be done. Most days were filled with constant worrying
about things not going according to plan. Albeit the daily struggle, the
trainee managed to suppress these negative feelings by meditating a few
minutes before working on current tasks. Mantras about "facing challenges
head on because you are completely capable" posted on the trainee's desk
were found to be very helpful. The trainee learned to stepped out from her
usual comfort zone with a realistic approach in organizing tasks at hand
instead of spending an inordinate amount of time polishing projects and
missing out on deadlines.
•
Philo 106 - Ethics
The trainee recognizes the importance of having a strong work ethic. Our
classes in Ethics emphasized work ethic as a guide for employees’ attitudes
towards work and behavior on the job. It determines what is good and what
is the right moral choice in job-related situations. The trainee learned that
the key to developing a strong work ethic is to discipline one's self to stay
focused. This is accomplished through setting goals and removing any
distractions. Lack of focus on main tasks can complicate an otherwise
efficient process thereby affecting productivity. All throughout the course of
internship, the trainee was constantly motivated in performing her best. The
trainee acknowledges that personal growth can be achieved through hard
work, perseverance and determination.
Conclusion
On the Job Training (OJT) is a structured experience designed to
immerse students in work environments relevant to their area of study in
order to facilitate knowledge on, productivity in, and respect for the
workplace. It enhances a student's academic, career and professional
development. This kind of internship provides a strong foundation in
preparing the students for their future careers and employment. A Work
from Home OJT is a very good alternative to the traditional internship for it
allows students to experience a remote work environment at the safety and
comfort of their homes.
An On the Job Training (OJT) connects the knowledge learned in the
classroom with real life applications in order for the students to have the
ultimate learning experience. It simply outlines the big difference between
learning the information needed to be successful in the future and actually
applying it in the workplace. In addition, an OJT develops and fine tunes
relevant skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, work ethics, adaptability,
communication, and time management.
Finally, an On the Job training
creates a whole diversified experience while enriching the self-acquired
proficiencies of the students. It gives every student a chance to be the best
version of themselves and worthy of employability.