TransformED: Career Counselling – Overcoming Career Stereotypes and Biases – A Webinar Report

TransformED, a webinar series by TCS iON, is presenting a thought leadership approach focusing on the four key offerings from TCS iON – Career Insight, Industry-Integrated Learning Programs, Assessment products and Platform solutions.

The inaugural session of TransformED focused on “Career Counselling – Overcoming Career Stereotypes and Biases” and was held on April 16, 2024. The webinar delved into the importance of Career Counselling, emphasizing the need to overcome prevalent stereotypes and biases in career exploration.

Objectives of the webinar

The primary aim of the webinar was

• To underscore the significance of informed career choices and
• To empower students to explore new-age career opportunities by breaking free from traditional stereotypes and biases

The session featured esteemed panelists Dr. Anuradha Sridhar, Head of Training and Curriculum Planning at Aditya Birla Education Academy, and Ms. Neha Gupta, Product Lead – Career Insights at TCS iON. And the session was moderated by Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder-Director of the National Skills Network – NSN.

This session catered to representatives, key stakeholders, and decision-makers such as Heads of Departments, Principals, Vice-Principals, Senior Professors, and Directors from schools and colleges.

Key topics discussed in the webinar

The webinar explored various facets of career counselling, focusing on,

• Innovative strategies to help students navigate through stereotypes and biases
• The importance of personalized career counselling, parental involvement
• Leveraging technology in aligning with the recommendations of NEP 2020
• The responsibility of schools in shaping students’ careers and the utilization of online resources

Dr. Anuradha Sridhar emphasized the evolving role of schools in career counselling, stating that, “Schools are going through transition these days and much more involved and evolved in terms of career counselling. There are a lot of options and opportunities given to the students from schools. We need our students to be future-ready. The crucial requirement at present is to have a one-on-one understanding of a student’s background, psychology, and working with them to understand them better.”

She also added, “When it comes to career counselling it is tripartite, the parents also need to be involved in career counselling along with students and educators. Work with students and parents to make them aware of the platforms and options available. NEP 2020 also helps in providing in terms of futuristics and how it needs to take skills forward. It also gives plethora of options. But what is needed is creating awareness of what NEP 2020 is offering in career counselling.”

Discussing about innovative approaches schools can take to expose students to a diverse range of career options, Ms. Neha Gupta said,” Schools need to step up and understand the responsibility they have in shaping the career of the students. Academics should not only help them shape them into well-rounded individuals but also has to help them choose a career and be able to pursue it successfully. Schools should be able to initiate very early to start career counselling; 12 – 14 years of age is the right time to start as students will be curious in learning and understand what they like and what they will be able to do.

“Playful ways of learning about different careers are essential. It should be a well-curated program for students to be able to learn about careers and understand more. Some innovative approaches for the schools to take up this initiative could be inviting parents and engaging with schools and students, allocating subject teachers to talk about the career paths in particular subjects, assigning home assignments, organizing activities, arranging industry visits, inviting industry leaders, and more,” she added.

After the above discussion, Dr. Madhuri Dubey initiated the second part of the discussion by seeking by the panelist’s views on the key challenges in implementing career counselling in schools and leveraging technology.

Challenges and leveraging technology

Dr. Anuradha Sridhar highlighted the pressure on students and the lack of accessible personalized career counselling, underscoring the role of technology and educators in guiding students towards a better future.

Ms. Neha Gupta stressed the significance of educators leveraging technology, such as the TCS iON – Career Insight– Explore Careers, to broaden students’ understanding of career possibilities. This innovative solution revolutionizes career exploration, empowering students to make informed choices and transform their dreams into reality. She also cautioned against blind reliance on the internet and advocated for the judicious use of online resources, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making in career exploration.

The webinar witnessed active participation from the audience, reflecting the pressing need to address stereotypes and biases in career exploration.

Also read: Why Indian Schools and Colleges Need Career Counselling Now More Than Ever

As the webinar concluded, it became evident that by fostering inclusive and innovative approaches, educators can effectively guide students towards fulfilling and diverse career paths, thus shaping a brighter future for the students.