Iacademy Cebu mulls expanding course offerings

CEBU, Philippines — A year after the iAcademy opened its Cebu campus, the school expressed plans to expand its course offerings to roll out crash courses in arts and design by 2024, enriching its educational repertoire.

According to Rigan Ap-apid, iAcademy-Cebu campus officer-in-charge and vice president for operations, the school located at the 5th Floor of Filinvest Cebu Cyberzone Tower 2, Salinas Drive corner W. Geonzon St., Brgy. Apas, Lahug, Cebu City, near Cebu IT Park, noted a rising demand for specialized skills to enhance both personal and career development.

In an interview, Ap-apid said iAcademy will have to seek accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to realize the expansion of its Cebu campus.

Apart from expanding its course offerings, Ap-apid also said that the school will strengthen its industry-academe program, to provide students with richer industry-based experience and know-how.

Ap-apid said the school would also strengthen its industry-university collaboration so it could attract practicing professionals to teach at their campus--professionals bring current industry knowledge and real-world experience into the classroom. Having them onboard can also open up student opportunities, including internships, mentorships, and potential job placements, creating a smoother transition from education to employment.

Students can learn not only the technical aspects of a profession but also the soft skills and attitudes required to succeed in a professional environment, he added.

“This is what we have been doing in iAcademy Makati where we have practicing professionals teach a subject and we want to replicate the same model here in Cebu,” he said.

With this move, Ap-apid highlighted the school’s commitment to tackling the persistent challenge of skill mismatch, aiming to bridge the gap between the skills present in the workforce and the evolving demands of industries.

“The good thing is a lot of young professionals these days are eager to learn and even acquire new skills,” said Ap-apid adding there are factors that contribute to skills mismatch, such the rapid technological change, where the education system struggles to keep pace with tech advancements, leading to a gap between the skills taught in schools and the skills required in the workforce.

He also mentioned the outdated curriculum, lack of industry-university collaboration, insufficient career guidance, and inadequate training opportunities, as a few of the factors that contribute to the industry-academe mismatch.

iAcademy Cebu Campus is the first branch of iAcademy outside of Luzon. It opened in January this year.

Known for its strong industry partnership that delivers a 96 percent job placement rate, iAcademy initially offers software engineering, game development, real estate management, animation, and multimedia arts.

It currently has four classrooms, a multi-purpose hall, a Cintiq lab, a multimedia arts lab, a Green Room, and a student lounge.

iAcademy Cebu recently conducted a Genesis Open House and Student Exhibit on Dec. 9, 2023. The activity aims to feature the talents of the students and at the same time highlight the state-of-the-art facilities of the school through a campus tour.

“Genesis is not just an event; it's a celebration of the creativity, innovation, and passion that define our pioneering students at iAcademy Cebu. As we open our doors to the public, we invite everyone to witness the emergence of a new era in education and technology,” the school said.

Likewise, iAcademy is also known for its industry-aligned curriculum and professors who are rock stars in their own chosen fields. Some of their notable alumni are Mikey Sevilla, Joshua Villena, Emman Rinoza. Their students are always engaged in projects that contribute solutions and positive change - they developed the first physical distancing app called Maze, the Experience Philippines App of the Department of Tourism has an Augmented Reality feature,

OCDrone – a solar-powered water waste collecting tool controlled simply with a mobile phone, to name a few. — (FREEMAN)