Vocational Guidance

Dr. Rahila Nizami

 Vocational Guidance
• Vocational guidance is the assistance rendered by an individual to
another in the later solving of his progress and vocational selection
keeping in mind the individual peculiarities or special abilities and
their relations with his occupational opportunity
• The level of intelligence, special abilities, interests, aptitudes, personal
health details, personality details and economic status etc are some
required details of the individual must be collected objectively
• In vocational guidance individual is assisted to understand his abilities
and limitations and accept them
 Aims of Vocational Guidance
• To assist students to acquire knowledge of the characteristics,
functions, duty requirements of occupations in which they are
interested
• To enable students to get relevant information about abilities and
skills in term of related qualifications and competencies required to
take up the identified occupation
• To enable students to understand their potentials and interest in
relation to identified occupation or a group of occupations which they
may take up
• To assist students in developing abilities to analyse occupational
information and make suitable choice by using appropriate career
information effectively
• To enable students to choose the right type of jobs
 Aims of Vocational Guidance
• To assist students in getting information about various post-
educational and training facilities and apprenticeship schemes
• To provide them the adequate information about the job
opportunities and job availability in the area of their study
• To develop entrepreneurship qualities in students for taking up self
employment
• To select the right person for the right job after successful completion
of his/her education
• Vocational choice should be decided more on individual’s ability,
interests rather than parental aspirations alone
• To develop a positive attitude toward work in their students. It can be
done in the institution and continued in the work situation
 Principles of Vocational Guidance
• The individual needs to understand the total perspective of a vocation for
which he has decided to prepare himself
• The selection of vocation is not confined to a single, fixed decision but a
time extending process, involving a series of social and personal factors
• Vocational guidance services should be based on the principle of
individual differences
• Different strategies need to be used to cater to the individual needs of
students
• Vocational guidance service must fulfil the vocational needs of every
student
• It can be given to an individual as well as to a group. When individual face
any problem individual guidance is given
• Group guidance is given to group in problem cases and to prepare them
for vocation
Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Various approaches are followed in
organizing vocational guidance;
• Career Corner
• Career talk
• Career Conferences
• Industrial Visit
• Simulated Interview
• Vocational Counselling
 Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Career corner; It is a display place for imparting vocational information
• It display books, pamphlets, posters and notices related to career
information
• Objectives of career corner are; To enable student to get various career
information from a variety of career literature
• To enable students to analyse their employment opportunities by
consulting a career index
• To enable students to get latest information about job opportunities
• Phases of activities are; Selection of career literature
• Collection of career literature
• Career index preparation
• Display of career literature
• Periodical updating of literature
Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Career talk; A talk by a professionals on various aspects of an occupation or a group of
related occupation is career talk
• Objectives of career talk; To enable students to get information directly from an
experienced person in the field
• To enable students to get opportunity to clarify their doubts related to career through
direct interaction with experts
• Phases of activities are; Decide the topic which has got importance
• Prepare a brief note about what is expected from the visitor and send it to the speaker
• Choice of suitable themes
• Selection of the speaker
• Decision of date and time
• Preparation of career brief
• Coordination of the career talk program
 Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Career Conference; a panel of speaker invited for discussion on a variety of
careers in engineering, accountancy, agriculture etc is a career conference
• Objectives of career conference; To enable students to get opportunity to
collect information about different career of their choice from a panel of
experts
• To provide students direct interaction over a group of careers
• To enable students to get a broader perspective on various career opportunities
• Phases of Activities; Identifying the speakers
• Finalizing the date , venue and time
• Monitoring the program
• Evaluating the program
• Constituting a organizing committee
• Preparing a plan of activities
 Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Industrial Visits helps the student to get first hand information about
the different aspects of the industry such as the tradition of work
culture, organizational hierarchy facilities provided
• Objectives; Students get first hand information about their future
working place
• Students get the opportunity to come in contact with their future
employers
• Phase of activities; Select the industry to be visited
• Write to the personal manager of the industry/firm for fixing the date
and time
• Prepare the students for visits
• Conduct the visit
• Organize the feedback session after the visit is over
 Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Simulated Interview; means artificial creation of the real situation.
• Some times it is not possible for real setting for students for training to
face interviews. They must know how to take an interview and the
behavioural requirements. Facing and performing well in an interview
by way of impressing the committee is an art.
• Objectives; To enable students to get opportunity to acquire the
necessary skills of facing an interview
• To enable students to get over complexes like frightening behaviour
which come in a way of good performance
• Phases of activities; Select the interviewer and interviewee
• Brief both about the specific roles to be played
• Organize the simulated interview session
• Obtain feedback from the candidates
 Approaches of Vocational Guidance
• Vocational Counselling; In this problems such as selection of vocation,
preparing for a vocation and progress in vocation are handled
• Objectives; Every counselling session has specific objectives
• Phases are given below;
• Fix the time and date for the counselling session
• Begin the session as per schedule
• Create an atmosphere through easy communication
• Assist the counselee to explore his needs and potentialities
• Review the world of work with counselee
• Assist counselee to choose relevant occupation
• Get the feedback from the counselee
• Terminate the session slowly
 Career Development of Young Children
• Principles for career development of youth;
• All students should be provided with an opportunity to develop an unbiased base from
which they can make their career
• The early and continuous development of positive pupil attitudes towards education is
critical
• The student must be taught to view a career as a way of life and education as a
preparation for life
• Student must be assisted in developing adequate understanding of themselves and must
be prepared to relate their understanding to both social-personal development and
career educational planning
• Student at all level must be provided with an understanding of the relationship between
education and career
• Pupil need an understanding of both where and why they are at a given point on the
educational continuum at a given time
• Pupil at every stage of their educational programs should have career oriented
experiences that are appropriate for their level of readiness and meaningful and realistic
 Career Development of Young Children
• Students must have opportunities to test concepts, skills and roles to
develop values that may have future career application
• The school career counselling and guidance program is centered in the
classroom with coordination and consultation by counsellor,
participation by parents and resource contribution from the
community
• The school career program must be integrated into the functioning
guidance and counselling as well as total educational program of the
institution
• Students must be prepared to cope with the dramatic changes in the
world of work that have eliminated many of the traditional
characteristics of careers of the past
• Students must be assisted in developing the maturity necessary for
making effective career decisions and entering the world of work
 Career Development of Young Children
• The counsellor role in student career development;
• Career Counselling; Design programs of career education, Do parental
counselling, group counselling activities to career development of
individuals
• Career Assessment ; provide student with self-understanding to assess
their personal characteristics in relation to career planning and decision
making, administer standardized and non-standardized tests
• Resource person and consultant; The counsellor serve as a resource
person and help individual teacher involve in career education program
• Linkage agent; Counsellor is active in collaborative activities of parents,
community and employers and have important contacts. He implement
and strengthen career education program by work base learning,
relating educational tasks to career
 Career Development of Young Children
• Techniques for career planning and decision making
• Self awareness; Learning about one’s aptitude, interests, values and
personality traits are important in the development of concepts related to
self and utilisation of these concept in career exploration. Counsellor may
use group guidance activities, written assignments, audio/visual aids and
tests for this
• Educational awareness; Awareness of the relationship between self,
educational opportunities and world of work is an important aspect of
career planning. Counsellor may use computerized programs, group
activities, internet, games, school alumni, inventories to educate students
the responsibilities, punctuality, effort, positive human relations etc
• Career Awareness; They help children at all levels to expand their
knowledge and awareness of the world of work. Computer programs, films,
printed material, internet resources, field trips etc are helpful in developing
recognition of the relationship among values, lifestyle and careers
 Career Development of Young Children
• Career Exploration; It is systematic, planned inquiry and analysis of
careers that are of interest. Comparisons, reality testing, standardized
tests may be useful. Integrating career information into classroom
instruction must be done by relating subject matter to careers,
hobbies, everyday living needs etc.
• Career planning and decision making; Students need to narrow their
career possibilities and then proceed and examine to test these
options. Students must recognize the impact of career planning and
decision making on their future lives. Established techniques for this
are computerized programs, internet resources, group activities,
testing and career days etc.
 Career Development of Young Children
Services for student career development
• Information; By providing useful and purposeful information by which
students can make effective and sound educational and career decisions.
Knowing the type of subjects that are available in the school, knowing which
subjects to choose, combining the right subjects which can lead to a desired
streaming in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) and gaining insight into
institutions of higher learning where training can be offered are some
educational and career information that school counsellors can provide.
• Orientation; By giving needed information with a guide as to the use of such
information makes it relatively easy for students to adjust to new
environments or situations. Newly admitted students are introduced to
schools through orientation programmes designed to cover their adjustment
to classrooms, the boarding house, the library etc. Counselling which is
concerned with the understanding and adjustment of individuals within
their environment for self growth underscores the need for counsellors to
partake in orientation programmes.
 Career Development of Young Children
Services for career development

• Vocational development and career education; By mounting activities such

as career talks, career trips, symposia etc., students are able to learn to make
meaning out of their educational pursuits. Counsellors should, apart from
these activities, guide students on how to complete job forms and forms into
higher institutions; they should teach students interviewing skills and keep a
listing of job agencies and vacancies that exist within the community.
• Placement; By assisting students who have completed educational
requirements at prescribed school levels, counsellors are able to seek
assistance from industries, governmental agencies or private employers in
creating job opportunities or placing students according to their capabilities.
In fulfilling the placement function, counsellors need to teach students
various skills relating to employment - job-seeking and job-getting; staying on
the job; writing application letters or filling application forms and
interviewing.