Women Employment Facilitation Centre (WEFC) Activities :: Briefing/Orientation Training Sessions

To help individuals, particularly students in defining their career goals, LEAD Pakistan with financial support from ILO and in partnership with District Government Community Development Department (CDD), Khairpur, Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), and Benazir Bhuto Shaheed Youth Development Program (BBSYDP) has organized 6 briefing sessions on career counseling in Khairpur from July 21 to July 24, 2009. These sessions were attended by the students of many well reputed government and private educational institutions (school & colleges) in Khairpur District.

These counseling sessions, arranged as an initiative under the project ‘Institutional Capacity Building of Employment Center, Khairpur’ were aimed to encourage students to build appropriate expertise for imparting effective guidance regarding their career decisions. 166 students (109 male and 57 female) from different government and private schools and colleges were briefed on career counseling through these briefing sessions. 

The main objectives of the briefing sessions were to enhance knowledge of students about their career and to provide them counseling services to help them in refining their career objectives and enhance their skills to find suitable positions as per their qualification and experience. These sessions also helped them in setting goals and making decisions about their professional growth.  

Theses sessions on career counseling was an interactive process that helped students to define themselves and take steps toward finding a fulfilling career. It started with understanding a student’ interests and background and how they relate to possible career choices. It then proceeded to preparing the student for a job search with a proper résumé and interview skills, and finally to negotiating a job offer.  The trainers provided support and encouragement as students make decisions about their professional lives. 

The event was appreciated by the educationist-community ad district government who strongly felt that such sessions were significant for the skills development of students.  

The sessions were conducted by 15 master trainers that included personnel from LEAD Pakistan, Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Benazir Bhutoo Shaheed Youth Development Programme (BBSYDP), and District Government’s Community Development Department (CDD). These trainers were first trained by LEAD Pakistan in SOP and TOT workshop related to Employment Center as Training and Resource Center and Product Development and Marketing Strategy, respectively.  

Career counseling sessions included four basic elements: (a) enhancing individual interest to gain greater self-awareness in areas such as interests, values, abilities, and personality style, (b) establishing their linkages with resources to enhance their knowledge about jobs and occupations, (c) engaging students in the decision-making process in order that they can choose a career path that is well suited to their own interests, values, abilities and personality style, and (d) assisting individuals to be active professional of their career paths in different roles. 

In order to ensure maximum decent employment opportunities to men and women of the target district, the sessions were focused on providing advice and guidance according to the need in the job market and employers’ demand. In addition, regular dialogues were also held between students in order to address concerns related to social justice, basic human rights, access to decent jobs and decent incomes, right to inclusion and standards in female labour participation in the wage employment sector, thereby enhanced their knowledge.  

These sessions were designed according to the academic level and interest of students; like if a student is graduated from school what should he needs to focus on selecting appropriate educational institute and subject of study. These sessions helped individuals in their educational and employment needs and give them guidance and information related to jobs and different employers. These sessions also facilitated and guided individuals to find the appropriate information about relevant job according to his/her education and experience. In particular, these sessions helped participants in: 

• Developing self awareness regarding career hunting.

• Connecting them to the job market,

• Understanding career counseling for the job hunting.

• Understanding the need of strategic planning especially for selecting an appropriate educational institute and subject of study.

• Understanding how to specialize in a particular field.

• Matching candidates’ interests and skills to the best possible job choice.

• Helping in completing job applications and resume.

• Helping in interview preparation.

• Helping in maintaining positive working relations on the job.

• Getting tips on how to look for a job.

• Understanding self marketing tools.

• Helping in developing future action plans & next steps.