The Teacher as the Career Guide of First Resort for Students
According to research by the European Training Foundation, the World Bank, the OECD, ILO, and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training, universally accessible career guidance, counselling, and information are crucial for individual success and economic growth.
Abstract
Studies show that 80% of workers don’t have a career fit—being in the job role that best suits their natural talents, aptitudes, skills, and abilities. Career misfit causes apathy and hinders career advancement, mobility, and job creation. It also hampers a country's overall economic growth. We propose that to help students find their ideal career, each student should receive a book for career action planning before they reach class 7.
All teachers should receive career guide training as part of their training so that they can nurture rather than neglect or even harm their students' career prospects. Training teachers to engage in career guidance will empower students to start career exploration early on and ultimately increase students’ chances of finding a career fit and succeeding in their chosen career.
Self-directed career management should start early, long before the selection of subjects in senior secondary school. Beginning career exploration early gives students better career prospects in their chosen field, as they can start to prepare mentally and economically for their specialized career education beyond basic schooling. The ROADMAP Career Selection Essay is a specialized tool for students to engage in career action planning before starting vocational training.
Introduction: The Gap in Career Education – Career Books
Learning is meant to prepare students for the career world. However, career educational materials, especially exercise books, are in short supply. Every school does its best to fulfil its learners’ career education needs from year to year. Reliance on public speakers, authors, and motivational speakers who offer career guidance from different textbooks creates a culturally incongruent labour force. The ROADMAP Career Exploration Essay Paper™ fills the universal gaps in career guidance by providing a uniform platform for students to engage in self-directed career exploration exercises. The essay paper comprises an introduction (vision mapping), an inventory of careers and career skills, talents, and abilities, a section on career action planning (essay), a study plan, and tips on career management. The CAREER STUDIES 101 textbook guides students on career growth and development beyond career exploration at the high school level. Combined, these two resources serve as a platform where students can engage in self-directed career success planning with the help of parents, teachers, mentors, and peers.
Helping Students Select and Prepare for their Future Career
The biggest issue in our current education system is that learning focuses exclusively on imparting students with subject expertise. Innate talents, skills, and capabilities are easily dismissed in favour of technical skills, competencies, and know-how. Insufficient career guidance has the following impacts, according to the International Labor Organization (Hansen, 2005);
According to research by the European Training Foundation, the World Bank, the OECD, ILO, and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training, universally accessible career guidance, counselling, and information are crucial for individual success and economic growth. Career guidance systems should be easily accessible, flexible, stimulating, inclusive, and independent of conflicting interests (Hansen, 2005). The OECD Career Guidance Policy Review emphasizes the need for self-management tools, self-help techniques, and ICT. Career guides advise students to consider their special talents & abilities, family financial situation, and networks – because these factors affect career success. A specialized career educational exercise book containing standard career management advice, suggestions, and information allows all learners to pursue a fulfilling future career.
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Role of Teachers in Career Education
Teachers occupy a prime position in learning, from early child education to advanced vocational training. From primary school to secondary, students constantly engage in future planning with parents, mentors, and peers. Teachers are largely left out of the loop in student’s career action planning. When career mentorship is lacking, the relationship between the teacher and the student in the current education system is ineffective and hostile. The disconnect between learning and what comes after (working) is to blame for many problems plaguing the education system and the labour market. Transforming the school into a training ground for future workers will empower teachers to empower students for their future as working citizens of the republic.
Our education system is often criticized for being too focused on exams. Students are given little to no career education. Most graduates pick courses and careers based on hearsay rather than rigorous self-analysis and credible career information. Most schools designate one teacher as a career guide, but their efforts fall far short of what students need. For example, my former high school had just one career guidance teacher catering to over 1,500 students. We received very little career guidance. Besides, career choice matters are very personal to the individual student. For students to receive a quality education, career guidance should be a part of learning from a young age. Career guidance focuses on passing exit exams, with the added benefit of empowering students to become productive citizens.
Conclusion
The teacher as the first career guide will not replace professional career guides. The contrary is more likely to happen. Kenyans will start to appreciate the role of career guidance throughout their professional life and seek the services of career guides more and more. A career book makes it so teachers will not require extensive training to fill their new role as initial career guides. A basic 30-minute product demo boosted by a Careers & Subjects Cut-Off printout should suffice. A career book is meant to help students become better workers after completing their education, so teacher involvement should be as required by the student (Reece, 2021). The essay sections improve student’s self-concept (identity) and assertiveness, concepts that influence career success. The career book provides a platform for career education from a young age to facilitate career fit.
References
Hansen, Ellen. (2005). Career Guidance: A resource handbook for low and middle-income countries. International Labor Organization, Geneva. ISBN: 92-2-118376-1.
KCHSP (2019). The Kenyan Employment Outlook. Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. State Department for Labor, Nairobi.
Reece, Liz. (2021). Career Action Planning: Briefing Paper. Career Development Institute, Stourbridge.