Image by Debi Brady from Pixabay
The OECD Website (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) mentions, Effective Career Guidance enables young people to develop informed, critical perspectives about the relationship between education and employment, helping them to visualise and plan their transitions through schooling and into attractive work. Effective guidance is rich in first-hand encounters with the labour market, begins early and responds to the personal circumstances and interests of students.
As you would be aware OECD is an international organisation which comprises of 38 member developed countries and it works to build policies across various spheres of human society.
If you are a parent or a teacher or a career counsellor from India, then OECD's Career Readiness Project featured on their website is bound to catch your attention. OECD member countries like Australia, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Korea, Malta, New Zealand, Spain, UK and US, has put Effective Career Guidance into practice in their formal schooling system - Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary School.
The formal education system in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and US have Practice of Career Guidance right from their Primary school all the way to their Upper Secondary school. In countries like Finland, France, Germany and Korea the Practice of Career Guidance is introduced from Lower Secondary school onwards and Malta introduces it in their Upper Secondary school. (data sourced from OECD website on 1st of Nov 2022).
Career Guidance for students through their schooling years produces positive outcomes such as connecting the subjects with the world of work, removing blind spots and raising awareness of the world of possibilities, raising self-motivation, goal setting, increases focus and improves grades.
From my personal experience as a parent and as a career counsellor, I regretfully have to say a systematic, formal career guidance and career awareness program is lacking in our formal Indian schooling system. Of course lot of positive changes are happening with the introduction of National Education Policy (NEP), but as on date our students are not receiving universal access to career guidance during their formal schooling for making connections of the subjects they study in school with the future world of work (professions).
A multi-stakeholder engagement is needed for developing a holistic solution to meet the needs of our students. With the eventual implementation of NEP (National Education Policy) there is hope it will address this gap in our existing schooling system. This blog won't be able to do justice to the seriousness and enormity of this topic. For that, we need to indulge in serious academic reading of policy papers and follow the experts and policy makers. Hence, I am taking the approach of 'Plucking The Low Hanging Fruits', which can be easily practiced by parents, teachers and career counsellors.
Let's provide Effective Career Guidance to our School Students by taking into Media Contents which offers insights into different careers and professions. We can exploit the opportunity created by penetration of internet, smart phones, YouTube, video-on-demand (VOD) and Over-the-Top (OTT), to provide access of these contents to all school students cutting across the urban-rural divide and the socio-economic strata, by spreading the word across through social media.
As well meaning adults, let's introduce our children/students to these contents and let's stimulate their curiosity and help them to connect the dots, by engaging with them in a two-way discussion. Such practice of effective career guidance by using media which has the flavour of entertainment, will also be not be perceived by the students as another over-bearing class, in their already cramped schedule of studies and tuitions!
This blog will be a running log entry of career related media contents. As I come across such contents I shall add them into the list. I also call upon your support to provide contents you come across, through the comment section and please do share this blog among your network so that it reaches to more students, parents, teachers and counsellors.
Together we can make a positive difference for our children and students, by exposing them to at least some form of Effective Career Guidance, instead of just waiting when a formal introduction of guidance will happen into our formal education system.
List of Media Contents:
INDIA'S BEST JOBS on Discovery+ Channel https://dplus.app.link/Zs7CT0LHAub
It features 26 professions as on date, spread over 2 seasons (13 episodes per season). The show is hosted by Meiyang Chang a dentist turned performer (achieved fame by debuting in Indian Idol). The theme of the show is 'Discovery how one makes their passion a successful career'.
Professions showcased on this show are:
Season 1: Canine Behaviorist, Paragliding Instructor, Travel Blogger, RJ, Wedding Filmmaker, Fitness Trainer, Custom Bike Modifier, Organic Food Entrepreneurs, Drone Operator, Stand-up Comedian, Celebrity Chef, Lifestyle and Fitness Coach and Film Director.
Season 2: DJ, Project Management, Interior Designer, Theater Director, Ecostay Entrepreneur, Production Designer, Food Truck Entrepreneurs, Hairstylist, Private Detective, Automotive Journalist, Wildlife Photographer, Casting Director and Hospitality Entrepreneur.
Host Chang goes through a checklist at the end of each episode. This Chang Checklist comprises of:
1. Are you your own Boss? 2. Job Satisfaction? 3. Does it pay your Bill? 4. Client satisfaction?
5. Perks?
This checklist can introduce the students to the concept of passion, hard work, business acumen and finance management. It can make them realise, these concepts are the underlying principles across any professions they choose in future.
BREAKING POINT: INDIAN AIR FORCE ACADEMY on Discovery+ Channel https://dplus.app.link/RG8ZxjzNAub
This is a four episode series which follows four cadets - Mudit Tewari, Priya Sharma, Amogh Bhandralia and Kartik Thaku as they undergo various stages of training at the famed institution in Dundigul, Hyderabad.
This series aim to inspire the youth of India to look at the Air Force as a career opportunity. The series also provides insights into the life of Air Force Officers, their journey from a cadet to a Flying officer.
The series makes the students aware of entrance exams like NDA and CDS and offers insights on the hard work, dedication and skills required by them to qualify, complete the training and meet the demands of the call for duty.