DOLE: Over 213K students, parents join career guidance sessions

Some 213,480 students and parents attended career guidance and employment counseling sessions in 1,164 venues nationwide before graduating last summer. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the participation of the students and their parents in the sessions indicates that more people are realizing the importance of planning careers. “As millions of students troop back to colleges and high school for SY 2011-2012, it is reassuring to note that more students and parents realize the importance of intensive career guidance to strengthen students’ options and lead them towards wiser career planning to match available opportunities in our industries when they graduate from college," DOLE acting secretary Danilo Cruz said. A report from the Bureau of Local Employment showed those who attended the sessions were from tertiary level, technical-vocational schools, and secondary institutions. BLE Director Maria Criselda Sy said the career guidance activities were facilitated by the DOLE Regional Offices (ROs), in coordination with the Public Employment Service Office (PESOs), and Guidance Counselors Network nationwide. “I note the active cooperation of high schools, tech-voc institutions, colleges and universities, the PESOs, and local government units in these career guidance and employment counseling activities which resulted to more participants joining and benefitting from them," Cruz said. Cruz said the DOLE is pushing better and more effective career guidance and employment counseling to let students make informed decisions about their career choices with the active participation of the stakeholders in the education and other sectors. “Eventually, our goal is to make the best talents stay by reducing labor-job mismatch in the country, and through better labor market information (LMI), the intensified career guidance seminars would help ensure that students are being prepared towards effective careers prior to their graduation," he said. Trained guidance counselors and employment coaches facilitated the sessions nationwide using the BLE’s new "Career Guide for High School Students" and the "Employment Guide for College Students and Jobseekers." According to the BLE report, the highest number of participants in the career guidance and employment coaching activities had been recorded in: