Recently, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has announced that 50,000 information technology personnel will be needed to man the May 2010 automated national and local elections. The COMELEC Commissioner has declared that Smartmatic will be working alongside Total Information Management Group, which acquired the P7.2-billion contract to administer the Philippines’ first electronic voting. IT people are expected to help in the operation of the 82,000 Precint Count Optical Scan or PCOS machines that will be used during at the polls. Pundits are skeptic that having IT people manning the polls using PCOS machines are not enough to make automated elections a success. It remains to be seen if the polling manpower can deliver. With this in mind, people are asking if these IT people are more than qualified to administer the poll operations.

A question lingers, Can Filipinos be relied upon when it comes to information technology?

Hitachi GST, a firm that manufactures computer storage products, bolsters the country’s standard of education and workforce mainly in the field of engineering. Its Integrated University Program (IUP) has been launched in order to provide scholarships, research grants, laboratory equipment and on-the-job training for students and faculty alike. The program began in 2008 with focus on Manila until CHED and Hitachi GST agreed upon the idea of setting up satellite laboratory centers nationwide. Hitachi has allied itself with Cebu Technological University, Eastern Visayas State University, Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology and Central Mindanao University– institutions that are strategically located in Mindanao and Visayas which means other schools in the area can make use of these universities’ lab facilities. Moreover, having these schools exist in Mindanao and Visayas should also have a positive impact in these areas’ BPO industry.

Dr. Tuan Tran, VP for worldwide head operations of Hitachi GST said the regional satellite labs will mean education for all. “Hitachi is impressed by the highly skilled workforce in the Philippines. Through the IUP, we are helping develop the tremendous potentials of these future scientists and engineers,” Tran stated in a press release.

Hitachi GST intends to maintain the seven regional labs to ensure sustainability. Cebu Technological University (CTU) has the first fully operational robotics lab among the seven regional labs. The CTU-Hitachi Robotics Metrology Laboratory was opened a week ago, and is expected to be one of the premier robotic labs in Asia. The firm is not expected to draw money out of the partnership. Rather its goal is to broaden the knowledge of students and instructors who may be integrated into the Hitachi Group in the future.

Hitachi’s fine example can pave the way to the concept of a BPO university where students can learn the ropes of the BPO and KPO industry from working with companies like Hitachi. This would enable young minds to hone skills in the global outsourcing arena. Furthermore, the supposed stigma from working for a BPO firm can at last be shed as BPO workers become more and more adept in what they do, thereby making this chosen field a more specialized one– employment in a specialized field almost always inspires pride. With this in mind, the benchmark for BPO will be greatly augmented, making it truly the industry of the new frontier.

It can be pretty difficult to find work from home opportunities, but there are opportunities available as long as you know what to look for. This article will discuss medical transcription from home as one of these options and the 3 necessary skills you should have if you want to succeed with this type of home business.

1. Fast Typist: Transcription is hard work, and it’s important to be a very fast typist as well as a great listener. The notes that are read to you go by very rapidly and while you are using equipment that can pause and repeat sections, you won’t want to have to stop too often or the work will take far too long to complete.

2. Know Your Grammar and Medical Jargon: It is necessary that you understand English grammar and medical jargon which is why training is required in order to succeed at this business. You also must also be acquainted with medical terms and hospital procedures.

3. Can Work Independently: Working from home on your own can be difficult for some. It is important to be able to stay on task and have good time management skills. After you have found work in your area and established some relationships with local offices, you will want to build your reputation so that you will be used again and again by the same offices, freeing yourself from always finding new work.

In this article we discussed 3 necessary skills you will need if you want to succeed doing medical transcription from home. If you are a fast and proficient typist, have a good command of the English language as well as an understanding of medical jargon, and can work well independently, this could be a very good opportunity for you.

It’s true that training is required in order to do this job, but even so this business can be a great opportunity for many looking for work to do from home. It may not be easy in the beginning, and having some help can be just what you need to get started.

These 3 skills are only the beginning for a medical transcription profession…

Do you want to learn more?

Claire Mercer, an internet marketing mentor, has successfully built a home business using the power of the internet. Her website, OnlineStayAtHomeJobs.com, has more information about doing medical transcripts from home as well as top stay at home jobs you can start using little to no money of your own.