How schools are piloting the role of career counsellors
- nsydorenko0
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
Imagine a world where every child discovers their talents from an early age, understands their strengths, and knows how to apply them. This is precisely what the career support system for students, piloted in Ukraine by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in collaboration with the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project, aims to achieve.
"First and foremost, career counselling is about children exploring and understanding themselves, identifying their strengths and interests in a career path. Next, we analyse how they can apply their abilities in specific professions and navigate the labour market more effectively — for example, by learning how to write a CV, search for internships, and find future employment opportunities," — explains Valentyna Poltorak, Manager of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE project.
The concept of career counselling has been successfully implemented for decades in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and many other countries, where students gain career insights through hands-on experiences, career centres, and direct engagement with businesses.
In Ukraine, the pilot project covers nine communities across six regions, with 22 schools selected to participate. This initiative marks a significant step towards developing a system that not only helps students choose their future careers but also strengthens the connection between education, business, and local communities. The region should act as a reliable partner in fostering cooperation between communities, businesses, and vocational education institutions. The Zurich University of Teacher
Education serves as a key partner in training career counsellors.
How does it work in practice? Career counsellors and career guidance coordinators in communities and regions organise excursions, workshops, career-oriented quests, and meetings with professionals. Students learn that a university degree is not always essential for success in a chosen field. At the same time, they also see that vocational education does not limit their opportunities for higher education.
