Career Guidance
The results of the 2023 Greek Examinations for the admission of students to higher education are just around the corner. The agony of both the examinees and their families is almost over. The attempt is done! But did they choose based on their actual capabilities or did stereotypical perceptions get in the way?
From a very young age, all of us at some point, have been faced with the question “What do you want to become when you grow up?” A question that the older ones asked so easily and we as children answered differently almost every week. Had the examinees honestly answered this question by heart before the exams, or even before they created their admission forms? Will they be able to do what really and substantially pleases them? Or did the wishes of their loved ones or certain stereotypes get in the way? Did the candidates visit a Career Guidance Professional (CGP)?
It’s undeniable the fact that the influence on young people’s choice of occupation comes from many directions. The main influence comes from the family, which sometimes ignores the personality, desires, and potential of their children. Even today we see many stereotypical perceptions in the selection of young people. A meeting with a Career Guidance Professional (CGP) can only clarify the scene for young people and their future. Career guidance aims to provide information on studies and professions, self-awareness, learning decision making techniques and finally, the transition from education to the labour market. An CGP will help the candidate to choose correctly and according to their wishes and skills, without restrictions and prejudices.
This is where the GUIDE project comes in!
The GUIDE project
The GUIDE project aims to help Career Guidance Professionals, to ensure that all genders can choose among opportunities based on interest and ability, rather than gender. During the project’s implementation a set of learning resources and methods will be developed and will be available to CGPs, universities, and other training providers to support all genders in making career decision without using gender stereotypes. The tools that will be developed are the following:
- Digital Tool for identifying stereotypes in career decisions. This digital tool is designed to aid professionals with career guidance responsibilities, such as career counsellors, teachers, advisors, and others, in uncovering and recognizing gender stereotypes and obstacles that all genders may face and impact their professional career decisions.
- Digital Tool for Career Decision-Making Styles. This digital tool is designed to assess an individual’s approach to making career decisions, known as Career Decision-Making Styles, and explore how stereotypes may impact their decision-making style.
- Online Training Programme in Gender Sensitive Career Guidance. This online training program is designed to enhance the skills of professionals and teachers in career guidance. The goal is to help them recognise gender stereotypes and use gender-sensitive techniques and tools to guide individuals of all genders in choosing their career paths.
- Gender Sensitive Career Guidance Toolkit. This toolkit is intended to assist professionals in career guidance in addressing issues of gender stereotypes and equality. It provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to enhance gender-sensitive career guidance in higher education institutions, training providers, organisations, and for professionals in career guidance.
The project partners did not stop there. Following the primary and secondary research to create the digital tool to identify stereotypes in career decisions and wanting to add value to the deliverables and the project itself, they agreed to create a database of good practices in career guidance and gender awareness, which will soon be available on the project website. In addition, the team considered it important to include on the project website, the interviews of the CGPs, conducted as part of the primary research.
What’s coming?
At the moment, the Digital Tool for identifying stereotypes in career decisions has been developed in English and the final touches are still to be made to finalise it. In September it will be finalised and translated into Greek, Danish, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Slovenian and German.
At the end of September, the partnership will meet in Patras. In this second transnational project meeting, 26.09.2023 – 27.09.2023, hosted by p-consulting.gr, representatives of all organizations of the partnership will participate in order to discuss their progress and set their next steps for the successful implementation of the project.
Stay tuned for more!
