Education ministry will begin Career counselling from Class 9 in all cluster-level schools under Samagra Shiksha

According to new recommendations from the department of school education and literacy within the education ministry, career counselling will soon start in all cluster-level schools as early as Class 9 onward.

The career counselling programme, which involves professional counsellors advising students about their future choices once every 15 days, is being expanded by the education ministry to include students in secondary and higher secondary cluster schools. The programme will include schools in 7,116 currently operating blocks across the nation.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the largest education programme in the ministry, provides a skilled counsellor and a yearly financial support of Rs 5 lakh. According to the plan, an Academic Resource Person (ARC) will be chosen to assist students in choosing the best career route after assessing their skills, interests, and other relevant factors.

As part of the programme, aptitude tests and interest assessments will be given to students to help them choose appropriate career options. Through various evaluations using TAMANNA, a career assessment instrument created by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Academic Resource Person for career counselling can determine areas of interest and skill for each student.

In accordance with the ministry’s recommendations, the ARC may also organise career melas by establishing connections with local businesses or companies to look into potential employment opportunities for recent graduates. For students in Classes 9 through 12, the ARC can also arrange group counselling sessions.

Technology-assisted counselling

As per the government data, the scheme will benefit 2.9 crore students with a financial implication of Rs 211 crore annually for all states and union territories.
Apart from the students, the scheme also has made provisions for capacity building and training programmes for career counsellor.

The rules for the project suggest using website- or app-based solutions to promote career discovery among students through real-time content management. Students will be able to establish profiles with career objectives connected to their stream, higher education, or jobs on the app or website. The student will be able to look up relevant job openings, apply for them, and monitor the results of their applications.

The website or app will also make it possible to acquire vital data about opportunities for vocational education that fit student profiles. It will also provide access to information on suggested colleges, such as costs, rankings, course offerings, application procedures, and scholarship details, among others.

For the most recent information about colleges and universities, entrance, programs, tests, schools, research, NEP, and other educational policies, follow us. Write to us at news@formfees.com if you want to get in touch.