Learning, achievement and career development

Abstract

Young people today are facing a very different world than their teachers and parents faced as adolescents. Technology is doubling every two years. The top 10 jobs in demand in 2010 did not exist in 2004. We are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented, in order to solve problems that we don’t even know are problems yet. To succeed at this task, schools (and parents) need to address the whole-person needs of students and not restrict themselves to only focusing on academic learning. This is best accomplished when career guidance and personal development are infused into all school subjects, and when guidance practitioners and counsellors are able to demonstrate the added value that a whole-person approach can offer.