Sienna College undergoes internetworking seminar via SWEEP

Engineering courses are relatively new in Sienna College. The school just produced its first batch of graduates in 2007, having established the College of Engineering and Information Technology only in 2002. As the school trains more enrollees in this field, 20 of its faculty have become the latest beneficiaries of a customized couse that will help give their students an edge in the industry.

Trends.Net associate trainer Clarence Pascua discusses a point with
participants of the Internetworking Fundamentals seminar.

Dubbed as "Internetworking Fundamentals," the course was offered in the Rizal-based school last December 3 to 5. Internetworking Fundamentals is the product of a collaboration of three industry leaders: Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART), Cisco and Trends.Net, Inc. The course is being offered under the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), a first-of-its-kind industry-academe partnership.

"The training exposes participants to current networking technologies and gives them actual hands-on experience in designing, configuring and troubleshooting simple networks," explains Trends.Net associate trainer Clarence Pascua. Topics include data communications on the engineering level, data networks, switching methods, routing protocols and wide area technologies.

Students appreciate the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in the industry during the seminar.

"The instructors who attended the seminar will update themselves with what they’ve learned and are better equipped now," says Engr. Bernadith B. Cruz, College of Engineering and Information Technology OIC Chairperson. "This seminar is really a big help and we are very happy and thankful that SMART sponsored it."

Aside from the Sienna College faculty, some 13 students also attended the course.

"I believe the students are theoretically well-equipped," adds Cruz. "They need to be able to apply the theories in real situations in companies and during on-the-job training. I think the students will be more ready, confident and competitive when they face other job applicants who will be their future competitors. They have a better understanding of what they should have in the future."

Sienna College is one of 40 SWEEP partner schools in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. SWEEP seeks to improve the level of technology and engineering education in the country by establishing a wireless laboratory and offering a continuing education program for teachers and students in partner schools.

As SWEEP helps to improve the education of future engineers in the telco industry, it is also concerned with a vital component of mobile communications: Internet Protocol or IP networking. As a result, Smart partnered with Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking.
Meanwhile, Trends.Net, Inc., which is authorized to deliver Cisco Training Courses, provides the trainers.

"I finished my master’s degree in network specialization three years ago, and this training serves as a refresher course. It gives me a lot of ideas on how to deliver my computer networking subject more effectively," says teacher Donna E. Nuguit. "Not all teachers in charge of networking subject are really exposed to different hands-on exercises even if they know the theory. If our students are given the hands-on exercises we learned in this seminar, this will help them in the workplace."

John Paul C. Dolor, fifth year BS ECE student, shares that the training helped him learn about the latest trends in the industry. "This is really advantageous for us. As a SWEEP partner, our school can be updated when it comes to developments in technology."

"As a computer lab coordinator, the seminar has really helped me," says Alicia D. Paterno. "I learned a lot about networking, and I can impart this knowledge to my staff."

(Published 15 January 2009, Smart Communications Inc.)