20 December 2012
It’s truly amazing what technology can do and how it comes to be more available to us. Learning has never been this exciting, when you combine your passion with technology. The rapid change of machineries and platforms help cultivate the production process of artists and designers.
We visited iACADEMY, one of the pioneers of industry-partnered education, situated at the heart of the Central Business Disctrict of Makati City. They offer first-class IT, Business, and Art courses, conducted in high-end facilities where students can learn in both aspects of theoretical and practical education. We also had the chance to interview Ms. Vanessa Tanco Cualoping, the CEO & President of iACADEMY. We started introducing Agimat to her, and she was delighted to know that there is this kind of initiative that supports local artists. Afterwards, we got serious talking about iACADEMY.
Agimat: What is the concept of creating the School?
iACADEMY: The School was started by a group of businessmen and educators, they wanted to bridge the gap between the academe and the industry. A lot of the graduates from the academe were not job ready when they graduated, so what we did was invite industry professionals to teach and involve the students on projects that are industry based and having this 6 to 8 months internship program where students will go to a company during the 1st and 2nd terms of their 4th year and get exposed to real life industry experiences. In that way, most of our students were employed immediately after graduation because they already have that experience. We’re very proud of our 98% job placement rate. In the end that’s what study is all about, to be able to get a good career after graduation and that’s what we’ve been very proud of.
Agimat: Why did you chose to be located in Ayala Avenue?
iACADEMY: It was precisely for that reason because most of the companies that we’re tied up with are in the area. It is also easier for us to get industry practitioners as teachers because they just walk to iACADEMY during lunch break and stay for about an hour or two. Then after work, walk to iACADEMY and teach for 1 and a half to 3 hours, depending on their schedule. It’s actually very good also for us, our students get to hear from professions, people who are working in the industry. The thing is, the courses that we are offering in iACADEMY are not only textbook based. In courses like Animation and Software Engineering, there are always new developments. We can’t depend on textbooks alone, so we depend on people who are working in the industry and teach our students what is new in real time.
Agimat: What activities do you have with outside organizations?
iACADEMY: The most recent one was with Gunship Revolution, a group of artists that come together and offer seminars. They hold the seminar in our school and offer it free for our students. It lasted for about 2 months last October and November.
We’re also part of The Best of Anime in SMX – we sponsored a competition in that event.
Agimat: What can you contribute on developing more artists?
iACADEMY: It’s very timely that you asked that question, because our meeting before this interview was about our Scholarship Program for artists. Last year we went to different National High Schools, and give 5 full scholarships for Software Engineering. The Scholarship includes food allowance and transportation, plus mentorship with the Dean. We take them in and make sure that they have everything they need. We make sure that from the time they set foot in iACADEMY, they will graduate from iACADEMY and get a really good job afterwards. We were very confident with the Software Engineering Programs because we have strong ties with IBM, Microsoft, HP and all these other big companies. And then, just recently we got calls from a lot of different animation studios asking for hundreds of our animation and arts graduates. We’ve been getting a lot of contracts from overseas. So knowing right now that there is really a big demand for animation and multimedia arts students, we’ll be getting students from National High Schools who are talented in the arts and then we’ll give them that same scholarship privilege. Making sure that they have allowances for food, books and transportation. For animation and multimedia arts scholars, they will also be given additional art material allowances because those are very expensive plus mentorship with the teachers. We also guarantee that they will have good jobs with big salaries after graduation. That’s our guarantee.
Agimat: What are your future plans?
iACADEMY: Currently we’re starting to offer iOS Development, that’s for creating Apps. Next year we’re planning to buy another building to house our students cause they’ve been growing rapidly. In that building we’re planning a lot of new stuff. One of them is to come-up with a motion capture lab. We’re also planning to work with professors in the US as online lecturers so that the students will not only learn from local teachers. We’re also expanding our programs, we’re already applying for the Sound Engineering Course which will complete our whole line-up of courses. The more interesting things are yet to come.
