Learners in the Gert Sibande District in Mpumalanga are being introduced to career guidance, subject choices and skills-development opportunities as a career development programme takes place at schools across the district.
The initiative started this week and will run until 11 September, with the Mpumalanga Department of Education leading the programme and support from organisaton such as Services SETA, AgriSETA, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Mondi Science Centre and Statistics South Africa.
The programme is focused on supporting learners to make more informed decision about their education and future careers by exposing them to different career pathways, skills and opportunities.
Services SETA supports career guidance
The inclusion of Services SETA offers a skills-development perspective to the career guidance programme.
For learners, the notion of the world of work is often more than choosing a school subject. Youths also need to understand the skills needed in different industries, as well as what paths can take them through from school to further education, training and employment.
With initiatives supporting career awareness and skills development, Services SETA can help expand learners’ understanding of opportunities beyond the traditional approaches they may already know.
The programme further reinforces the importance of the exposure young people receive to career possibilities while they are still at school.
Helping learners make informed career choices
Career development is often something that starts long before a learner enters the worlds of work.
The subjects a pupil chooses at school can influence future study options, as can early exposure to different industries to understand the qualifications and skills needed in particular careers.
As the Gert Sibande initiative aims to take this information to schools, this gives learners an opportunity to explore possible avenues before making important decisions about their education.
For learners, this exposure can be of value when considering which subjects and post-school opportunities match their interests and abilities.
Organisations bringing a range of different career perspectives
The programme features organisations from education, skills development, science, agriculture, water and sanitation and public-sector information.
Supporting the initiative are also a range of organisations:
Services SETA
AgriSETA
Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Water and Sanitation
Mondi Science Centre
Statistics South Africa
The wide field of organisations participating in the project gives learners exposure to career possibilities across sectors and not concentrating on just one profession.
Connecting school subjects with real careers
An important aspect of career guidance is helping young people understand how what they study at school connects to opportunities after Grade 12.
Agriculture, for example, can lead to careers involving farming, agricultural science, environmental management and related industries.
Water and sanitation requires a range of technical, scientific and professional skills.
Science and technology can offer pathways into research, engineering, innovation and specialising areas.
Statistics and data skills are equally pertinent in government, business and research.
Services SETA’s involvement offers an additional angle to highlight the importance of skills development and workplace-oriented learning when young people are planning their future careers.
Why career guidance matters
Choosing a career path is often tough when learners don’t have the information needed to understand what options are available to them.
Career guidance can help address this information gap, introducing young people to different occupations, qualifications, institutions and skills-development routes.
It can also help people understand that university is not the only pathway after school.
Depending on the career, learners can consider universities, universities of technology, TVET colleges, occupational programmes, learnerships and other training opportunities that are widely available.
Understanding these options earlier can help learners make decisions using the information provided.
Building confidence around future choices
The programme can also give learners the opportunity to think about their future outside of their current school environment.
Meeting organisations involved in education, skills development and different industries, young people can ask questions about careers and the qualifications or skills they may need.
This could be the first opportunity to learn more about possible career options that they hadn’t previously considered.
A week focused on future possibilities
The career development programme will continue to roll out across schools in the Gert Sibande District until 11 September.
Led by the Mpumalanga Department of Education with support from organisations such as Services SETA, AgriSETA, TUT, Mondi Science Centre and Statistics South Africa, the programme brings a range of different perspectives to education and career development.
The immediate goal is to give learners more information about their choices.
The longer-term value will depend on the use the young people can have the initiative when choosing their subjects, research qualifications and decide what career pathways they wish to pursue after school.
For the young people taking part, the programme is an important reminder that career planning starts early and that there are a range of ways into further education, skills development and the worlds of work.
Source and reporting note
This article is independently written from information supplied about the career development programme taking place across schools in the Gert Sibande District, led by the Mpumalanga Department of Education.
The supporting organisations are reported as provided; these include Services SETA, AgriSETA, Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Water and Sanitation, Mondi Science Centre and Statistics South Africa.
Editorial policy
We provide factual reporting on education and career guidance initiatives and distinguish between confirmed programme activities and potential future outcomes and we do not present participation as a guarantee in employment or admission.
Disclaimer
Career guidance does not guarantee admission, funding, employment or placement in a particular career. Learners should confirm qualification requirements and application information directly with the relevant institution or organisation before making education decisions.
