It was established to meet the growing need for professional career guidance services in Kenya. Research conducted by the Ministry of Education in 2007 revealed that out of 314 individuals between 30 and 35 years of age and drawn from 16 professions, 66% of the interviewees were found to have chosen the wrong career, 27% had not thought about their careers and only 7% believed they had chosen the
right career. Research also indicates that career guidance is a major issue for many Kenyan students and families. Many parents report that helping their children select a career is a very pressing concern. Both teachers and parents agree that understanding the world of work and preparing students for tomorrow’s careers should be a very important goal of education. PROBLEM
Studies have revealed that upon completion of secondary education, many students join universities, colleges and technical institutes to pursue careers that do not match their capabilities and often make vocational choices based on hearsay, parental influence, teachers advice, the job market, speculation and what seems to be tick at that moment. The lack of guidance based instruction in our education system has resulted in a large portion of the population being placed into jobs which are not appropriate to their unique personalities. Gaps exist in the consistency, quality and clarity of this process. There is a great need for these services in Kenya because traditionally, our education system is designed to recognize merit based University entry and not talent based. Career guidance services are needed by students in schools and educational institutions, and individuals in the market place who seek to develop their human potential. DYC SERVICES
To address the concerns above, DYC offers the following services:
i. Administration of Career Assessment tests
We administer a self assessment tool known as the Vocational Interest Inventory that enables one to learn more about their personality type, work related values, interests and possible career options. Knowing more about ourselves can provide the information we need to make wiser career decisions. https://www.facebook.com/DYCKENYA/photos/pb.1423397314627994.-2207520000.1430901353./1430587513908974/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-xfp1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10443608_1430587513908974_3193084130689345689_n.jpg%3Foh%3D0dd180ee7b420bbe514d4c7e4755a43d%26oe%3D55D6E564%26__gda__%3D1440263732_1be616a08080ff56d1cdd3219a21ab89&size=552%2C792&fbid=1430587513908974
ii. Training for Career Guidance teachers
Our Career Teachers training courses aim to maintain and raise the standards of all our career guidance teachers by offering regular opportunities for continuing professional development. Training career guidance teachers enables them to function appropriately in their roles as well as enhance the achievement of educational and developmental goals. We completed training Machakos County in first term 2015. iii. Pre-college/university students career transition course
Many students join universities and colleges with little knowledge of what careers they want to pursue. Our education system concentrates on subjects’ performance/entry level requirements as opposed to suitable career. The institute will act as a bridging school for pre-college/university students and as an affirmation point to ongoing college & post-university students. iv. Career Talks for Students
Students often find themselves at crossroads when it comes to career choices. They are curious about the world of work for want of information about entry level requirements, the day to day tasks performed, the remuneration, the opportunities to travel etc. They occasionally also want to demystify, confirm or cross check information received from other sources. DYC visits high schools and universities to present career talks. v. Career Talks for Parents
Parents play an integral role in guiding their children. Due to their position in their children’s lives, they are very influential when it comes to their career decisions. DYC meets with parents through school coordinated events where they are guided on how to have career discussions, the do’s and don’ts of career talks and effective ways of communicating with their teens about the future. vi. Holiday Based Programs
These are holiday based programs targeting high school students. The programs will equip students with skills to enable them to make informed career decisions. ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE
1. We developed a Career Guidance curriculum for secondary school teachers in recognition that many career guidance teachers are not well matched in relation to demands of their jobs. In many Kenyan schools today, a subject teacher is relegated this responsibility without prior training on how to guide students. This role is further hampered by lack of current information. While it is recognized that career counselors play a significant role in career choice both in public and private institutions, there exists a large pool of teachers who are untrained in professional career guidance. Our training curriculum was approved by the Ministry of Education, Teacher Services Commission and Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association and authority was granted to train career teachers in Kenya. We have so far trained 57 schools in Machakos County and now planning to train Nairobi & Kiambu counties. We have trained a further 35 teachers in Career Test Administration & interpretation.
2. Hundreds of youth & adults have taken our psychometric tests, the former for seamless transition into colleges/universities, the latter to align their careers and confirm their current jobs.
3. We completed our first bridging 2-day training for young person’s awaiting to go college. This took place on 29th & 30th at the ICC West Campus, off Mombasa rd. More people are now registering for the subsequent ones.
