Tunisia: What future for career guidance?
19 November 2014
Read by 1903 persons
During the national seminar for the establishment of a national system of information and career guidance in Tunisia, expert John McCarthy presented the diagnostic, which constitutes the first step of the project. This diagnostic focused on the different aspects of career guidance in Tunisia. Note that the project is funded by the European Union as part of the promotion of services related to career guidance in Tunisia
Lack of a national information and guidance system in Tunisia
John McCarthy explained that there is no unified information and guidance system in Tunisia, but a disparate set of subsystems - operating in the education, higher education, training, and employment sectors, each with its own history, raison d'être, and driving forces - rather than a system of coherent integrated arrangements.
Lack of cooperation and student feedback
Furthermore, the ministries, particularly of Education and Higher Education, work without any connection to the labor market and other actors, and without coordination between them.
Similarly, the study shows that the main subject of guidance is not consulted, namely the student, on their experience of career guidance. Unions and employers are not either. This indicates a lack of strategic thinking, according to the speaker.
The lack of a complete integrated system
The expert also noted during his presentation the complete absence of an integrated system on trades, professions, and the job market. Such an approach is able to guide the student well in their choice, especially if they have all the parameters at their disposal.
How should this system be designed? According to the study, this system must be fed by information on the labor market and on the employment possibilities in a particular profession or sector and their apprenticeship pathway.
Lack of quality
The study revealed the absence of any monitoring of the results of career guidance and information tools.
Guidance problem
According to the speaker: "The current education policy is explicitly and intrinsically oriented towards access to university for all students and especially for high school students; and the official role of the career guidance service in high schools is to support this policy". Thus, access to university is the main objective of the student and the role of career guidance is to root this policy.
Thus, the expert concludes: career counselors in high school still work without knowing the trades and opportunities in the job market. "Most professional decisions are made based on information from family and friends or anecdotes from former students," explains John McCarthy.
Leconomistemaghrebin.com
Published November 18, 2014.
Posted online November 19, 2014.
Lack of a national information and guidance system in Tunisia
John McCarthy explained that there is no unified information and guidance system in Tunisia, but a disparate set of subsystems - operating in the education, higher education, training, and employment sectors, each with its own history, raison d'être, and driving forces - rather than a system of coherent integrated arrangements.
Lack of cooperation and student feedback
Furthermore, the ministries, particularly of Education and Higher Education, work without any connection to the labor market and other actors, and without coordination between them.
Similarly, the study shows that the main subject of guidance is not consulted, namely the student, on their experience of career guidance. Unions and employers are not either. This indicates a lack of strategic thinking, according to the speaker.
The lack of a complete integrated system
The expert also noted during his presentation the complete absence of an integrated system on trades, professions, and the job market. Such an approach is able to guide the student well in their choice, especially if they have all the parameters at their disposal.
How should this system be designed? According to the study, this system must be fed by information on the labor market and on the employment possibilities in a particular profession or sector and their apprenticeship pathway.
Lack of quality
The study revealed the absence of any monitoring of the results of career guidance and information tools.
Guidance problem
According to the speaker: "The current education policy is explicitly and intrinsically oriented towards access to university for all students and especially for high school students; and the official role of the career guidance service in high schools is to support this policy". Thus, access to university is the main objective of the student and the role of career guidance is to root this policy.
Thus, the expert concludes: career counselors in high school still work without knowing the trades and opportunities in the job market. "Most professional decisions are made based on information from family and friends or anecdotes from former students," explains John McCarthy.
Leconomistemaghrebin.com
Published November 18, 2014.
Posted online November 19, 2014.
