V for Vocation Foundation
Approximately 67 per cent of India’s population is between the ages of 15 and 64. The bulk of this group is between the ages of 15 and 30. This means that a lot of people need help deciding on a career choice and getting started in their job. This number will only rise as the world’s population grows. With the rise of multiple technologies and industries, there has been a rapid expansion of new job industries and job categories that did not exist previously.
Students have an ever-expanding base of career options to choose from. However, with the rise in career options, their confusion of country, college, course, and career has also been increasing. It can be quite difficult for students to find the right career fit and explore new avenues on their own.
Career counseling, provided at the correct time, can have a huge impact on how students perceive the plethora of information and choices at their disposal. School-based career counselors, with their deep understanding and long-term association with students, are able to help students determine future career paths, based on their academic and co-curricular interests and their personal and family circumstances, helping them align their personal goals with long-term professional goals. They also become the filters of the world of information, helping familiarize students with a wide range of available courses and career options. To give the best and most timely support to young students, counseling needs to start at the school level to empower students with information and choices at an early stage of decision-making.