Shimea L.

Pagurayan January 11, 2019

12- Andre

Work Immersion as One of the Salient Features of K-12 Curriculum

Introduction

Work Immersion, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 40

series of 2015, is defined as “the part of the Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum consisting of
80 hours of hands-on experience or work simulation which the Grades 11 and 12 students will
undergo to expose them to the actual workplace setting and enrich the competencies provided
by the school under the supervision of the School Head and the designated personnel of the
Partner.” This program is beneficial to the senior high students as it prepares them to what is to
come after graduating from their respective strands. This will give the students a taste of the
expected working environment that they will encounter in real life after graduating, this is if they
decide to not continue in college, but if they do then this will help them in their endeavours in
their respective universities as this program will hone various skills of the student, skills
necessary and helpful in tertiary education. Work Immersion will also guide the students to have
the right attitude in any work place, to encounter and respond effectively to various situations
that are encountered in work. Thus, work immersion will help students develop life and career
skills that will prepare them in making decisions on postsecondary education or obtaining
employment after senior high school.

Rationale

The goals of the work immersion of the K to 12 Basic Education Program is to prepare
students in a working environment, to have first-hand experience in what to expect in a work
place. To develop the learner’s skills and competencies, work ethic and values regarding
whether they want to continue pursuing college or to seek employment after graduating from
senior high school. To achieve balance between basic education and the target needs for the
nation’s development, Work Immersion, a required subject has been incorporated in the
curriculum. This subject will provide students with opportunities

1. To be prepared in handling situations in work place

2. For employment simulation; and
3. To apply various skills in areas of their specialization/applied subjects in a real working
environment

To achieve the objectives above, according to the DepEd Order No. 30 series of 2017 in
their Guidelines for work immersion, Work Immersion is thus a requirement for graduation from
secondary education. Students will be subjected in actual work environment wherein their prior
training in senior high school will be relevant especially in work places such as laboratories and
workshop offices.
Scope

According to the DepEd Order No. 30 series of 2017 in their Guidelines for work immersion,
Work Immersion shall be performed by all Senior High School learners and the guideline shall
be followed as such this will apply to the following institutions:

1. DepEd Senior High Schools

2. Private Senior High Schools
3. Senior High Schools run by state colleges and universities, and local universities and
colleges
4. Technical- Vocational Institutions

Objectives

Work immersion will help students develop life and career skill that will help them in making
life long decisions such as whether to seek employment upon graduating or proceeding to
college. Through Working Immersion, DepEd seeks to assist learners in having work experience
or experiencing work in an actual work place, provide opportunities brought about by work
immersion and develop additional learning resources. It aims to make the learners:

1. Value the importance and application of the lessons especially the theories and
principles that are learned in school;
2. Developing good character especially in a work place such as positive attitude, work
ethic, appreciation and respect towards work and others;
3. Gaining technical skills and enhancing prior skills learned in school; and
4. Cultivating interpersonal skills and communication skills

After completing Work Immersion, senior high students would have already gained, work or
hand-on experience in lined with their specialization to help them in their future ventures be it in
their work place after senior high school or in their respective chosen colleges. Work immersion
therefore provides students an avenue to test the knowledge they gained in their previous
lessons and apply them in real life situations like in a working environment. Furthermore, work
immersion is not only for the students to apply what they have learned in school but to also gain
or enhance their communication skills and be able to experience social interactions in a work
place. Thus, the experiences that the learner’s acquired in work immersion will prepare them in
their transition from high school to real life and for the life’s to come after completing senior high
school.

Reflection

Work Immersion as an experience will be life changing or rather a worthwhile life

experience that any student would encounter in their senior high school journey. This will be the
time that would test the capabilities of the students to apply the competencies that they have
acquired in school to an actual working environment. This will also test how well the students
can work under pressure or under circumstances that are concerned in work with actual risks
involved that can affect a whole company and the people working in it, a situation not commonly
encountered in school. To evaluate whether the learner’s communication skills are adequate
enough or if the learner lacks actual skills to communicate and work well with people that are
encountered in the workplace. Thus, various learning opportunities can be gained during work
immersion as such there are advantages in undergoing this requirement. One advantage would
be gaining first-hand experience in a work place; this will help in the students in their future
ventures and will develop their ability to handle various situations that are commonly handled in
an actual work place. Furthermore, this subject will help the students to enrich their characters,
as such learning to develop good habits, appreciation and respect towards work and others.
Additionally, work immersion will help the students in making decisions especially in making a
choice whether to immediately seek employment after senior high school or to proceed in post-
secondary education. In an event that the student proceeds to post-secondary education, work
immersion will be a factor for the student’s decision on what to take up in college. Thus, work
immersion is definitely needed and it is a requirement the students should undergo to gain
actual experience in a working environment and will be beneficial for them in their future plans.