Objective of education in India largely culminates with the placement training programs those offer short term abilities to solve aptitude tests and soft skills aimed at campus placement interviews. The ability of a student to secure a campus offer is considered as success while there is no measure of performance, growth and satisfaction levels in the long run.
Many students whom I am meeting are uncertain about their overall direction following graduation and felt poorly equipped to handle their long term career and life. It’s important for educators to equip young graduates with the tools, techniques and mindsets that will enable them to reflect on themselves, spot opportunities and navigate through their careers and create their own job opportunities.
While systematic “Career Education” is completely missing in our education system, there are few colleges with established Career Guidance Cells. However, most of the CG Cells do exactly the job of a placement office in disguise.
Career education is defined as “the education that encourages career development, build knowledge and skill to improve motivation, attitude, and ability needed to develop the career that best suited to each individual”.
Simply stated, “education that teaches the art of career building”. “Career development” is a life-long issue. The design of curriculum in career education, therefore, should connect to the development of the “individual careers of children/students at any given point in time.”
It’s very important for the academia to educate students on how to successfully build and manage their careers throughout their life in an ever changing world.
I am closely working with few institutions to set up Career Education Cells where few faculty members are systematically trained on Career Counseling and Coaching. I only wish career education and life design are taught at much earlier in our education, mostly in the higher secondary school system.
