HRDC: Senior Educators to receive training in career guidance

A capacity-building programme is being rolled out to equip some 160 Senior Educators from public and private secondary schools with the necessary skills and tools to strengthen career guidance and better prepare students for the evolving world of work.

Organised by the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource and the Careers Guidance Service (CGS), the initiative seeks to equip Senior Educators with the knowledge and tools to guide students in making informed decisions about further studies and future careers. It also familiarises them with emerging labour market trends and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in career preparation, including CV writing and job interview techniques.

The Minister of Education and Human Resource, Dr Mahend Gungapersad; the Chairperson of HRDC, Mr Bhooyasheel Seedoyal; the Acting Director of HRDC, Mr Pritam Singh Mattan, and other personalities were present at the opening ceremony held this morning in Ebène.

In his address, Dr Gungapersad stressed the importance of effective career guidance to help young people make informed choices in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving labour market. He observed that students often choose fields of study based on limited knowledge of available professions or popular career preferences, potentially leading to an oversupply of graduates in some sectors while others continue to face skills shortages.

He called for greater exposure to diverse career opportunities through interaction with professionals, career talks, workplace visits and practical activities. Such initiatives, he said, would help students identify their interests, abilities and potential. The Minister also underscored the importance of collaboration among parents, educators, educational institutions and the private sector in supporting students’ career choices without imposing predetermined pathways.

Referring to the impact of technological advancement and globalisation on the world of work, Dr Gungapersad stressed that career guidance must keep pace with emerging professions and changing labour market needs. He added that investing in effective career guidance was an investment in the country’s human capital, as today’s students would become tomorrow’s workforce and skilled professionals.

For his part, Mr Seedoyal highlighted the pivotal role of senior educators in helping young people understand the opportunities in the labour market. He pointed out that the programme seeks to deepen their knowledge of different occupations and labour market developments, thereby strengthening their ability to guide students in their educational and career choices.

As for Mr Mattan, he explained that the workshop would involve Senior Educators in validating exercises developed under the Career Toolkit to ensure that the resource is relevant to the realities of schools. The 2027 activity calendars will subsequently enable schools to integrate these exercises into their regular career guidance programmes, providing students with opportunities to explore different professions and progressively plan their career paths, he added.