In the pursuit of Information Technology (IT) mastery for the future of its students and as a response to the clamor of its industry partners in the recently concluded Tripartite Assembly, the University of Baguio School of Business Administration and Accountancy (UB-SBAA) through the student organization officers of the Junior Executive Circle (JEC), Junior Financial Executives (JFINEX), UB’s Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (UB-JPIA), and Junior Association of Marketing Executives (JAME), jointly created a workshop series geared towards providing additional IT knowledge to the students.
To explore what Google Workspace has to offer to students, the JEC chose to conduct a workshop on it last April 20, 2024, led by none other than the esteemed SBAA teacher Mr. John V. Balanquit. Promising an enriching experience filled with insightful discussions, practical demonstrations, and networking opportunities, the workshop aimed to equip attendees with the knowledge and skills necessary to leverage Google Workspace to its fullest extent. As business students, it is important to explore what Google has to offer as it is one of the most used search engines, and it has become a staple at school and in many companies.
The event commenced with a warm introduction of our guest speaker, Mr. Balanquit, a seasoned expert renowned for his years of experience and dedication to empowering others. Mr. Balanquit initiated the workshop with an engaging overview of Google Workspace, emphasizing its pivotal features and functionalities. From Gmail, Sir Balanquit taught the students how to input signatures for their emails with the use of Google Docs, in order to add a professional air to the recipient; as it will provide them with additional information about the sender than just their names, Google Drive, Google Sites, Jamboard, Google Scholar, and even Excel, attendees received a comprehensive insight into the array of tools available to them.
Throughout the workshop, attendees were afforded the opportunity to witness firsthand the practical navigation of various tools within Google Workspace, ranging from setting up email filters to creating and sharing documents in real time. Mr. Balanquit also introduced lesser-known features such as Google Sites and Google Arts & Culture, which intrigued attendees. The latter platform, offering access to artworks, museums, exhibitions, and interactive games, was particularly well-received by the attendees since it has interactive game features. While Google Site on the other hand, was deemed useful for its beginner friendly features of website making.
Mr. Balanquit’s adeptness at making the demonstrations both informative and enjoyable further enhanced the attendees’ learning experience, ensuring they grasped the full spectrum of functionalities within Google Workspace.
The workshop was spearheaded by the JEC officers who recently finished their on-the-job (OJT) training and who were also present to listen to Sir Balanquit’s topic and to gain some insights. The OJTs will soon be entering the workforce after graduation and there will be more lessons to learn even after getting their diploma. Joining workshops will enhance the OJTs’ skills, hopefully making them more adaptable and reliable individuals at work and making them more productive and do well. The workshop was also done in response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN-SDG) number 8 which aims to promote inclusive, full productive employment and decent work for all.
Written by Justine Del-amen and Czarina Joy Bacsal
