Keeping students on the right track

Opening up of novel career avenues and the rapidly evolving job market have left today’s youngsters with a multitude of options before them. But proper guidance is required to pick up the right course after school and make informed career choices.

While interactive sessions by experts from various fields and awareness programmes focussing on career opportunities are being conducted at various private and Government schools, a few of the schools have opted for career guidance programmes with structured modules.

Principal of Yuva Bharathi Public School Geetha Jayachandran said the school provided career guidance programmes offered by a private education company. “It is important to make students aware of various courses and careers opportunities available as new options sprouted up every now and then.”

According to Ms. Geetha, the programme familiarises students with career opportunities, requirements for a particular job and how the industry works. Exercises to identify the students’ strengths and weaknesses and methods to improve their skill set are included in the programme. “One may be interested in a particular field, but the nature of the job many not suit him/her. If the job demanded a lot of travelling, it may not be the right choice for people who are not fond of travelling even if they are interested in that field,” she said.

“As many as 4,000 students, including 1,500 students in classes IX-XII in four schools in Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore are attending Pathways career guidance programme offered by us. The programme introduces students to the world of work while helping them identify their aptitude and skills to choose the right job opportunities,” said director of Thinking Palm Vikram Ramakrishnan.

According to him, sessions with facilitators at schools as well as e-learning sessions are part of the programme. Self-study materials based on the students’ interests are also provided.

The programme first introduced students to various fields and helped them shortlist work sectors of their interest. Then the focus was on the courses they should peruse and the skills they should develop to get there as well as to evaluate their aptitude in that field. After this, the students were provided assistance in focussing on an individual career, setting a goal and then choosing the right institutes, Mr. Vikram said.

Athishay Kiran, a class XII student of Yuva Bharathi Public School, who had been attending the programme from last year, said it kindled in him an interest in nanotechnology and an idea about various career opportunities in that field.

Another student Haswath said he was drawn to the field of stock market while Riya Daniel said it helped her understand her own interests and talent.