Publication Date 22, February 2021
The lack of a proper and comprehensive career counseling system for high school students forces a significant number of students do not fllow their affinities and desires, so they end up in a different field of study which are not preferred by them or even do not provide employment in the future.
Career counseling and orientation have been identified as a key point in the Strategic Plan for the Development of Education in Kosovo 2017-2021 (Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, 2016). The lack of career guidance and education exposses the disconnect between the education system and the labor market demands and leads to underdevelopment in-demand job skills. Taking into consideration, does the individual potentionals are heard and take into account from schools or social circumtsances?
Trying to understand this, the Program “After School Support for Teens” -ASSET funded by the USAID mission in Kosovo, aims to develop employment and entrepreneurship skills among young people in order to improve access to career advice and strengthen the school-community-business link. The program, through the training "Career Guidance and Counseling" (CGC) approved by the State Council for Teacher Licensing, has trained teachers lecture career concepts into concrete activities, linking them to some of the expected learning outcomes from the field 'life and work'.
In order to create a sustainable mechanism in school for organizing career-related activities, the Program has established Career Clubs.
The purpose of carrer club creation
The structure of career clubs
Each club is led by a mentor, who is mainly ‘life and work’ teacher trained in the CGC course. The club members are school students who contribute voluntarily to the club tasks. The program has also supported clubs with career corners within the Career and Entrepreneurship Centers.
"The career club is a hearth of knowledge and of a bright future for students. Through various activities organized in this club, students not only learn valuable things and acquire entrepreneurial skills, they are also prepared for life and the job market. Through the career club, students approach their careers step by step, make the right choices for their profession, get the experiences and skills for life management", says Lamir Shkurti, teacher at the "Gjon Buzuku" - Gymnasium Prizren and a mentor of the Club in this gymnasium.
Each club has their targets on which they develop and implement their work plan. They develop this plan at the beginning of the school year with professional support from the Program`s team. Their plans aim:
• The development of club management skills;
• The organization of activities for skills' development;
• The information on career opportunities for school students;
• The communication and school – business links;
• The mediation of student’s volunteer and work experiences
In the school year 2020-2021, about 200 students from 16 partner schools were engaged in the framework of career clubs.
Skills development through extracurricular activities
Students, who are volunteers in these clubs, among other things they organize various activities for the usage of resources and research in Busulla.COM, preparation of CV & motivation letters.
"The career club plays a very prominent role in our daily lives. We acquire valuable knowledge and skills that help us choose the right profession for us, by knowing our values, interests and benefits from the profession. The club also helps us to develop our skills for time management, determination, etc.", says Erma Shkurti, Head of the Career Club at the "Gjon Buzuku" Gymnasium-Prizren.
After members are trained on certain topics, they develop club activities through which they help other students on these topics. Therefore, career guidance remains of paramount importance not only to escape from undesirable and prospectless choices, but to discover and display talent and potential in our youth.
Career Orienation Workshop occured at Career Club Kuvendi i Arbërit – Ferizaj
