Why Career Guidance is Vital in Education.

I firmly believe that proper career guidance is lacking for students, parents and educators to encourage children into the fields that suit both their ability, skills, aptitudes and passion. Career guidance is important for students in order to make an informed decision about the career pathway they want to pursue not the one that their parents or teachers want them to pursue which often happen than not. Parents should also contribute by understanding the talents and interests of their child and supporting those rather than forcing a career on their child.

Career guidance includes activities like career information and advice giving, competence assessment, mentoring, supporting career decision-making, developing career management skills, which help citizens assess and identify their skills, competences, areas of interest and make decisions concerning training and employment. Career guidance requires concerted efforts from everyone including the civil society, governments and the private sector. One thing that is important to note is that career guidance calls for a multi-stakeholder involvement with all parties collaborating if we are to offer students the best there is in terms of career guidance services in educational institutions. It is such a broad subject to be left to one career guidance teacher in a school.

I call for educational institutions to adopt a learning-centered approach, over and above an information and advice approach. The institutions should take a developmental approach and build career education into the curriculum properly. I suggest that the Government through the Ministry of Education play a vital role by providing clear and more explicit guidance to schools on what constitutes a comprehensive careers guidance strategy, how to secure independent, external careers guidance and how to monitor the impact of this provision effectively.

Lastly the public and private sector should come to the party and provide a platform for students and school leavers to be exposed to their careers of choice through volunteer opportunities, internships and work opportunities.

Together we can make a difference because the great African Proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”