As higher education institutions place greater emphasis on student employability and career outcomes, career services teams are increasingly being called to move beyond activities and focus on measurable impact. In the Philippines, SeeMeSOL's Careers Services Foundation Certification (CSFC) is helping career services professionals build the knowledge, frameworks, and practical strategies to make that shift.
Two batches of the Careers Services Foundation Certificate have now been successfully completed, bringing together career services professionals from universities and higher education institutions across the Philippines.
Building stronger foundations for career services
Delivered by SeeMeSOL Inc. as part of its growing SeeMeAdvisory offering, CSFC is designed to strengthen the foundations of career services and help institutions build more structured, proactive, and outcome-focused approaches to career development and employability.
The programme provides participants with practical frameworks and strategies that can be applied to their existing career services initiatives, while also giving them opportunities to reflect on their current practices and identify areas for improvement.
Rather than focusing solely on the number of activities delivered, CSFC encourages participants to consider the outcomes those activities are creating for students, graduates, and other institutional stakeholders.
From learning to practical application
For participants, one of the key values of CSFC has been its practical approach and its focus on translating learning into action.
Ruth Ann L. Musngi, Director of the Student Services Division at Saint Michael's College of Laguna, shared:
"I already tried to implement some of the learned techniques. It worked!"
Nico Angelo B. Angeles, Career and Counseling Officer at Baliuag University, highlighted the programme's focus on evidence-based practice:
"It gave participants insights on how to improve services based on measurable metrics and have an evidence-based and proactive approach."
The programme has also provided participants with new ideas for strengthening existing practices and developing career services programmes within their institutions.
Hannah A. Pareja, DBM, Alumni Relations Coordinator at the University of the Immaculate Conception, described CSFC as:
"A practical and insightful programme that strengthens an institution's ability to support students in their career development and employability."
Danica Ybañez, Director of the Office of Career Readiness and Employability at Biliran Province State University, highlighted how the programme can translate into action:
"It provides both a strong foundation and useful strategies that can be translated into actual programmes for students and graduates."
Supporting the institutionalisation of career services
Beyond individual initiatives, CSFC also explores how career services can become a more integrated part of institutional strategy and student success.
Julian Paolo Aldea of the National Aviation Academy of the Philippines highlighted the value of having practical frameworks, tools, and partnerships to strengthen career services:
"Frameworks, tools, and partnerships that would help institutionalize career services as a core driver of student success and institutional excellence."
These perspectives reflect a broader shift in how career services can contribute to higher education — moving from activity-based delivery towards services that are intentional, measurable, and connected to student and graduate outcomes.
Continuing the career services journey
With two successful CSFC batches now completed, SeeMeSOL continues to support higher education institutions and career services professionals through a growing range of SeeMeAdvisory services, including training, coaching, consulting, managed services, and community.
The completion of these first two batches marks an important step in building a stronger community of career services practitioners in the Philippines — one where professionals can share experiences, learn from one another, and bring practical approaches back to their institutions.
SeeMeSOL is proud to support the career services professionals who are working to strengthen student employability and create better pathways from education to the world of work.
