CGC for more than 150 primary school children in Lajkovac
Šabac: Career counsellors of Šabac Job info centre held six sessions under the career guidance and counselling programme in “Mile Dubljević“ primary school in Lajkovac. Through competency self-assessment implemented within these sessions, primary school children and future final year students were given opportunity to, in a creative way, learn about themselves and start planning their future schooling.
Professional orientation workshops were attended by more than 150 students in 12 seventh or eighth grade classes of the school in this town and its outlets in Bajevac and Bogovađa.
The impression after these sessions is that most of them already know which secondary school they are going to enrol in three months’ time. Their interests are different and depend on the town in which they will continue their education – in Lajkovac, Valjevo, or Belgrade, and what options they have.
In the case of Lajkovac, they can mostly remain in craftsman jobs in production, while Valjevo and Belgrade offer a wide range of opportunities. However, they primarily decide based on their own interests and acting upon the advice of their parents.
“We realised that the interests differ even among different classes. Within the workshop, they also undergo the quiz to evaluate their knowledge of the English language. When we look at it from aside, it is interesting that in some classes the knowledge is exceptional, and in some classes it is less good“, career counsellor Gordana Mandić Radosavljević said, adding that the students have gained a good knowledge of foreign language mainly through internet, games, films, or other media.
This indicates that, besides the formal knowledge, practical application of what has been learn is also missing. The same is true for other school subjects and it should be borne in mind that the interests are individual and depend on students’ personal aspirations.
“The wish to take part, they have manifest critical attitude. That is really good. Even if they are not sure what they want, they do very well know what is not good for them“, she said.
Main impression is that young people understand that, in the new era, career becomes dynamic, changeable, and that they themselves need to be active and mobile. Notably, these workshops prepare them for this way of thinking.
“We had fun and we have learnt many new things in a different way than that in which we learn at school“, Marko P. said.
The teachers’ and students’ reaction are good since, following the workshops, the workshop participants develop discussions which incite them to contemplate their own development, which is a completely new experience for their age group and the above-mentioned environment.
According to career counsellors, positive effect made them include all twelve classes, instead of two as they intended originally.
Text and photo: Mirjana Čvorić / Edited by: Sandra Vlatković
