Career Guidance is an investment - An Investment in Career Guidance can save lakhs in the future….

Career Guidance is an investment

An Investment in Career Guidance can save lakhs in the future….

Schooling is an unavoidable cost the parents must bear for their children. And one can not say it is an investment. The reason is, we are seeing more and more examples of how, after a particular education, the person takes up a career for which he or she has never been educated. Except for the medical profession, pure sciences, or engineering profession involved in research and development, Accountancy, Law, etc where the education and the post-education professional have a direct linkage, most of the other professions/occupations have no direct linkage to the academics one has undergone for 15 to 20 years (depending on the level of education).

The world is changing more rapidly than ever before. It is very difficult to predict what the world will look like by 2050. For sure, we would have dried up all the conventional natural resources of energy, like petroleum products, coal which may be available for a few more decades after that as well. The COP26 has a commitment from across all the major countries to reach the net-zero emission norms. India has committed to being a total net-zero emission country by 2070.

Similarly, technology is pushing the rapid changes in the nature of jobs/occupations across the world. By 2025, about 50% of tasks currently being done as shown below will be done by machines/through automation.

In his famous book, 21 Lessons for the 21^st Century, the author, Yuval Noah Harari, has given a great insight into the future.

“Humankind is facing unprecedented revolutions, all our old stories are crumbling, and no new story has so far emerged to replace them. How can we prepare ourselves and our children for a world of such unprecedented transformations and radical uncertainties?”

He further adds;

“What should we teach that baby (our children) that will help him or her survive and flourish in the world of 2050 or the twenty-second century? What kind of skills will he or she need in order to get a job, understand what is happening around them and navigate the maze of life?”

In another paragraph, the author writes;

“So, what should we be teaching? Many pedagogical experts argue that the schools should switch to teaching the four Cs’ – Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. More broadly, schools should downplay technical skills and emphasize general-purpose life skills. Most important of all will be the ability to deal with change, to learn new things, and to preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations. In order to keep up with the world of 2050, you will need not merely to invent new ideas and products – you will all need to reinvent yourself again and again.”

We can not change the way schooling is being done now, neither we can in the future as well. Though the new education policy 2020 is a step in the right direction, where there has been serval mention of the importance of imparting the 21^st Century skillsets to the young school-going children, one has to wait and see how the implementation will shape up in future. At least, as I see it my children currently in high school will have to undergo the schooling as per the current system of education.

Schooling in India is a fairly expensive affair, the cost per month can range from Rs. 1000 per month to in excess of Rs. 25000 per month. Post-school, the higher education both UG and PG level educations are also very expensive propositions. However, there is no other option available for the parents to secure the future of their child. While the conventional educational system can be effectively utilized even now, provided the child is guided professionally using the scientific methods of assessing the abilities, strengths, and interests. Most of the schools in India do not provide these services to each individual student. Some schools have full-time counselors, whose main job is to address the individual challenges with a student. Their role is not to guide each student into the most suitable career path.

In view of the above facts, investing in professional Career Guidance for your child which may cost a few thousand rupees, is worth the investment. It can help you save Lakhs spent on a wrong career for your child, and not to mention the mental trauma the child and entire family has to undergo if the chosen career path is not the right one.

Would you not agree?