Teachers trained in Career Guidance
Kaieteur News
June 23, 2004
TEACHERS from the ten administrative regions participated in a workshop on Career Guidance in schools on Monday.
The workshop was coordinated by the Secondary Sector of the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, (UNICEF).
Director of the Secondary School Reform Programme (SSRP) Dr. Kenneth Hunte and other Senior Education Officers facilitated the programme.
According to Cherrilene Baxter-Dennis, Senior Education Officer, Work-study, the programme was initiated because teachers do not place special emphasis on preparing students for the world of work. “The purpose is to help teachers to conceptualize their role and provide the framework within which the career education factor can be developed,” she said.
The programme was initiated about three years ago, but it has been intensified to “have career education infused into the curriculum,” so that students can know that there are job opportunities in various subject areas.
Students have little exposure to the work environment. Some exposure is to be had through work study attachments. There are also career talks in schools by persons from various organizations but there is no formalized programme in this area.
The new programme will target areas such as office etiquette and interviewing skills.
These workshops are held once every academic year, Baxter-Dennis said. A similar “World of work workshop” allows students to be a part of a modularized activity where activities such as self analysis and preparations for work are dealt with.
“Here we emphasize writing Curriculum Vitae, analyzing the published vacancy and so on,” she noted.
A curriculum guide was developed by the SSRP which looks at careers across the curriculum, especially in key subjects. The aim is to integrate it in the teaching of various subjects in the school curriculum, but not as a separate subject.
This programme is still in its preliminary stage. “For the time being, when we get into the schools, we check to see how teachers incorporate career education into the curricular subjects,” Baxter-Dennis said.