The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now accepting undergraduate and law students looking to gain professional experience through its internship program.
In a statement, the SEC this is an opportunity for students to get first hand knowledge on company registration and regulation, the capital markets, enforcement, investor protection and other related fields.
The SEC Internship Program seeks to provide students with direct practical experience at the SEC while honing their skills in relation to their respective academic backgrounds.
The program will likewise familiarize students with the mandate, powers and functions of the SEC, as the national government regulatory agency charged with the supervision over the corporate sector, capital market participants, as well as the protection of the investing public.
Interested applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate or law degree program in a higher education institution that is registered with the Commission on Higher Education at the time of their application.
Their program of study must also require them to undergo an internship during the semester they are enrolled therein. The Commission will not accept voluntary internships for the purpose of getting work experience.
“We are proud to continue this tradition of educating students on the pivotal role of the SEC in the development of the country, so that they may be encouraged to jumpstart their own careers in the public service,” SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said.
He added that, “This internship program aims to equip students with the necessary skills that will prepare them for the rigorous demands of the real world, and give them the opportunity to apply their learnings from their undergraduate or law degrees.”
Interns will have to physically report to the office where they are assigned. They will be provided with their own office space, laptop/computer, and other necessary equipment to simulate the experience of a full-fledged SEC employee. They are further required to render at least 250 hours of work credits for the duration of the program.
Apart from working experience, interns will also be given the chance to attend learning and development interventions hosted by the SEC and its partners. At the end of the program, the SEC may recognize and reward interns who have performed outstandingly throughout their tenure.
Interns will be accepted at the SEC Headquarters in Makati City, as well as in its nine Extension Offices (EO) across the country in Baguio, Legazpi, Tarlac, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, and Bacolod.
However, interns cannot represent the Commission in any capacity and the internship is not a guaranteed employment though high performing students may be invited to return and apply for any vacancies that the commission may have in the future.
Pursuant to the implementation of the internship program, the Commission on January 11 and 12 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with San Beda University-Manila, Manuel L. Quezon University, La Consolacion College-Pasig and Polytechnic University of the Philippines to encourage more students to take advantage of the opportunity.
The agreement will allow partner-universities to send interns to the Commission, while also allowing the SEC to participate in university activities such as job fairs, seminars, trainings, campus recruitments, and forums, among others.
Universities can also offer their own partner agencies to cooperate with the Commission for the benefit of expanding the network.