HDRC launches career guidance clinics

Baboki Kayawe | Friday March 20, 2015 14:39

HRDC marketing communications manager, Faith Tuelo, revealed that a significant number of form five leavers attended the Botswana Tertiary Education Fair (BTEF) with the sole aim of applying for admission to higher learning. “It is evident that students might make haste career decisions without any informed decisions on education and career pathways by virtue of being offered on the spot admissions.

“Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. Unfortunately, many students make career choices without much career guidance. Our education system should prepare the learners for choosing career paths,” she said.

It is against this backdrop that the HRDC will conduct its inaugural Career Guidance Clinics in the capital as a prelude to the BTEF.

Tuelo explained that the event, which will be held next week Monday and Tuesday, is meant to prepare prospective tertiary education students for their higher education, as well as to provide information on key priority skills for the local labour market. “The clinics are also meant to share information about different career branches and university or college entry pre-requisites,” she said.

Tuelo added that the Ave Maria bound event, intended to strengthen the structured career guidance students received at secondary school level. “The tertiary Career Clinics are a continuous improvement and availing current information to prospective students on key priority skills for the labour market,” she said.

The clinics are meant to aid the prospective learners discover their talents and strengths identify the fields of work that best uses their talents, in addition to developing these to achieve their dreams.

Moreover, the Council has realised the need for the target audience to understand the world of work and to chart their career choice construction.

The meetings will be held in Gaborone but social media will be deployed to reach a mass audience across the country.

The 2015 Career Clinics will largely involve the Human Resource Development Sector Committees, namely, Mining and Energy Resources, Tourism, Creative Arts, Agriculture, Health, Public Sector, Education, ICT and Finance & Business.

Each sector would have a professional expert to offer guidance and assist the learners to be in making informed study choices, according to HRDC.

The annual tertiary education conference will be held from March 23 – 25, 2015, while the fair opens on the last day of the conference until March 28.