By Tom Musira
Career guidance is an old and routine experience in Ugandan schools and institutions of higher learning.
The process features the engagement of specialists tasked with inspiring learners through lectures on the strategies to undertake in the pursuit of career goals and from the perspective of the stage of learning at which they are.
It reminds me of my secondary school experience at Kiira College Butiki, a traditional school found in Jinja District, when career guidance sessions would be conducted every Tuesday, always, after the last lesson.
Professionals from various fields, would come to deliver presentations to the students gathered in the main hall, during what was fondly described as career talk . The highlight featured a focus on the preconditions that would make one eligible for service in a particular role after college or university training.
Many students appreciated the career talk initiative, but weren’t in love with the schedule for career guidance. The career talk sessions were conducted at an awkward hour when students should be focused on taking a break after being fatigued by 12 hours of engagement in classroom learning . The dejected faces of students whose dormitories remained locked during Career-talk time, was a perfect sign of the mood and lukewarm attitude resulting from the challenge of erratic planning.
The matter would often get stretched. One memorable session is a lengthy presentations by some guest speaker, a senior police officer, who proved very dull and incoherent.The officer went beyond the allocated time, to the point of becoming a burden to the cooks who were desperate to serve students with supper before returning to their homes.
It was indeed heartwarming, when lessons on various subject were delivered masterly delivered by those in charge. Adjustments were subsequently made to pave the way for the adoption of career days by the Kiira Butiki College administration and which come as an occasional arrangement.
It is also pleasing to note that school management embarked on utilizing the resourcefulness of accomplished Alumni in facilitating the career guidance exercise. The students would certainly enjoy the company of persons with a close connection to their environment compared to engaging facilitators who lack a connection with the school and its history.
Meanwhile, the trend of employment at local level, warrants creativity and discipline, among graduates and school leavers, as factors of influence in career success.
This should be of insight to the career masters and mistresses serving in the many schools , as well as experts involved in manpower planning. There’s need to embrace changes in the messaging and approach to career guidance to a level beyond possessing knowledge on the subjects required in pursuing a given career. The model of the private sector led economy that Uganda is, features a sense of cut-throat competition for the few jobs available. This compels employers to impose tough measures in determining whom to hire and depending on the job available.
The career guidance conversation should shift to the values that are currently influential in positioning one for a clerical job and which are within the wish and interest of employers in the private sector.
1-Students need to realize the value of keeping time as a principle in view of its effect on production and service delivery.
2-There is need to equip students with effective communication skills as a management practice and ethical principle.
3- Students need exposure to advanced forms of digital knowledge in order to navigate through the use of diverse forms of software application.
4-There should be the encouragement of students to embrace Multi skilling as a strategy for job retention in future. Many employers prefer retaining multi-skilled staff since they help in saving on the cost of investment in labour.
5- Parental engagement in career shaping is crucial since many of the interpersonal skills that employers need are based on the role of parents as agents in child upbringing.
Tom Musira is a journalist by training and social life commentator
