Students studying in rural, backward or deprived areas do not get the right direction regarding their careers. Neither they have proper resources, nor they have proper knowledge about this. Simultaneously peer pressure, parents’ pressure and social pressure makes condition more pathetic. In such a situation, the need of career counseling increases.
Important points: – Why career counselling is important for students especially in rural and backward areas?
- Following the traditional options: – Students in rural areas are still following traditional subjects (Arts, Commerce, Non-Medical, Medical) for study and traditional career options like teaching, plumbing, electrician, driving etc. Most of them are focused on Government jobs only. They need to break out this thing and there is need to think about new things like machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced medical sciences. New options like computer science, art, sports, business, banking can change the mind set up of students.
- Need expert to remove lack of information and awareness: – In rural areas it is tough to find some career experts who can guide students about choosing of subjects and careers according to their interests and talent. For this physical interaction with students can be arranged or online meetings can work too. Experts’ involvement can remove dilemma from the minds of the students and can make their life better.
- Identification of interests and abilities: – Students do not choose subjects or career options according to their own interests and skills, but they follow their parents, their friends, relatives or some time their teachers too. But most do not know and understand why have they chosen those subjects for study and that career option. It pushes them towards failure and frustration in life. Through career counseling, students recognize their talents and interests and can move forward in the same direction, which will certainly make their life better.
- Career counseling: (First step: Need for Academic Guidance): – Many students are not able to choose the right subject at the right time, which affects their future.
Counselling tells children what subjects and courses are necessary for which career and when they should start preparing. In case of some confusions career aptitude tests and psychological tests can be conducted. Selection of right subjects during study can fix the win of half battle.
- Better options within the limitations of resources and money: – Limited money can be a problem in choosing subjects and career options sometimes. And sometimes where resources are limited, children have to find options according to their circumstances and situations of the family. Expert career counsellors give information about low-cost courses, scholarships, government schemes and tell other options to the students too.
- Dropouts and unemployment: – When we ignore career counseling for selection of subjects for study and career, then sometimes, many students drop out of school or college or choose a career course that is not useful and perfect for them.
Career counselling helps them move in the proper direction, which decreases dropouts and unemployment.
- Step towards big dream: Self-reliance: – When students get the right guidance by expert career counsellors, they are able to take challenge on the base of their courage at any cost and they try to make their dream true. This makes them self-reliant and also develops their family and society.
- Beginning of social change: – When a student succeeds in his career, he becomes source of inspiration for other students too. In this way social change starts and career counselling can helpful for whole society too.
Final Thought: – Career counselling can be a medium of change in rural and deprived areas. It can make students’ lives successful by giving them the right direction at the right time. In such areas, schools, panchayats and NGOs should work together to ensure that every child has access to career counselling. Arjun Kirpal’s Compassion Trust is trying to do the same thing in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
