Perceived Competencies of BSHM Students of AIMS toward the National Certification Assessment: Basis for Professional Course Enhancement

Abstract

The hospitality sector encompasses a diverse range of service-related industries, including hotel, food and beverage, events, theme parks, and transportation. With the services required, its manpower therefore entails highly-skilled individuals to extend maximum service. Following CHED rules, standards, and recommendations for a learning outcomes-based education, students are obliged to take the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) National Certification (NC) Assessment to measure their competencies. AIMS, as an abiding higher education institution, has been keen in complying with state requirements. However, besides the obstacles of a non-face-to-face laboratory brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a TESDA ocular examination held few years ago has revealed that the laboratory facilities, tools, equipment, and materials of the AIMS Hospitality Management department did not meet the required standards. It is of this reason that the study was aimed at determining the competency of BSHM students toward the National Certificate Assessment of TESDA as the results were essential in the enhancement of professional courses of the AIMS BSHM curriculum. Using descriptive-survey design, the study employed 42 Hospitality Management students to evaluate the provision and utilization of facilities and equipment of the BSHM laboratory courses as well as in measuring their perceived competency in TESDA NC II assessments. A semi-standard questionnaire with 3 parts was used as data gathering instrument. Part 1 determined the profile of the respondents. Part 2 was a checklist aimed at measuring the provision and utilization of facilities and equipment, and part 3 determined the perceived competency of the respondents toward the National Certification II courses. Measures on this part was adopted from the TESDA Self-Assessment Guide. To analyze the data, Frequency Distribution and Percentage were used to determine the occurrence and percentage of each variable employed in the study. With more male than female, most of the respondents are between 18-22 years old and mostly from the 3rd year level. Likewise, most have completed all professional courses of the BSHM curriculum. Based on the composite summary, 86.12% of the respondents claimed that the laboratory facilities and equipment across all the professional courses have been provided while less than half (48.84%) claimed to have utilized them. On the average, 63.68% of the respondents perceived to be competent across the five NC II courses. Though the competency figures are fair enough in terms of respondents’ self-assessment, the percentage rates still show a low level of competency. Hence, recommendation to monitor the conduct of laboratory courses, provision of lacking laboratory facilities and equipment, equipping BSHM faculty members with NC II certifications and the enhancement of the BSHM curriculum.