Sunday, April 22, 2012
Field of dreams
By Sumaiya Lakhani
A tomato field is an unlikely place to find inspiration, but amid the trees, mud and growing shoots, there it was: Inspiration with a capital ‘I’.
As odd as that may sound, what’s even odder is that it came as I saw a corporate banker jump over a mound, followed by a gaggle of giggling students in matching beige uniforms.
This was the moment when I got my first glimpse of the mentor-mentee relationship that forms the basis of The Citizen Foundation’s Rahbar programme.
Started in 2008, Rahbar is a mentorship programme that aims at the development of Pakistan’s youth on many levels. It’s come a long way since its humble beginnings and now includes over 1,000 volunteer mentors who have reached out to about 4,500 students in different cities.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Career guidance
QURAT-UL-AIN KHALIL
Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. Unfortunately, many people make career choices without much career guidance.
In a country like Pakistan where literacy rate is quiet low, only 26% of students make their way to the higher education so, 74 percent of the students drop out due to many reasons; a wrong career can cause serious harm not only to the individual’s life but also to the economy.
The major drawback of our society is here decisions are the result of collectivism not individualism. This culture can be beneficial for other petty matters of life but for choosing career it can prove to be disastrous. Due to low literacy rate people have less information about variety of careers. Parents know only two domains of study: medical and engineering.
First thing required to choose the right career is to know your interest. Students should ask their parents only about their interests not about their careers. Once they are clear about their interests they should begin planning and obtaining information on it.
Schools should play their role; teachers should educate students with different kind of career options they could avail according to their interests and resources. The students who drop out of school could actively take part in economy if they are guided in schools at the right time towards their right career.
Students should also be assisted in presenting their abilities to the world. It is very important for the students to know about job searching strategies, such as writing a resume and cover letter, learning interview skills.
Career counselling is an issue which is not highlighted in Pakistan although it could be very helpful in producing professionals with highly specialised knowledge and expertise in variety of fields.
Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. Unfortunately, many people make career choices without much career guidance.
In a country like Pakistan where literacy rate is quiet low, only 26% of students make their way to the higher education so, 74 percent of the students drop out due to many reasons; a wrong career can cause serious harm not only to the individual’s life but also to the economy.
The major drawback of our society is here decisions are the result of collectivism not individualism. This culture can be beneficial for other petty matters of life but for choosing career it can prove to be disastrous. Due to low literacy rate people have less information about variety of careers. Parents know only two domains of study: medical and engineering.
First thing required to choose the right career is to know your interest. Students should ask their parents only about their interests not about their careers. Once they are clear about their interests they should begin planning and obtaining information on it.
Schools should play their role; teachers should educate students with different kind of career options they could avail according to their interests and resources. The students who drop out of school could actively take part in economy if they are guided in schools at the right time towards their right career.
Students should also be assisted in presenting their abilities to the world. It is very important for the students to know about job searching strategies, such as writing a resume and cover letter, learning interview skills.
Career counselling is an issue which is not highlighted in Pakistan although it could be very helpful in producing professionals with highly specialised knowledge and expertise in variety of fields.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/0ThPV
Career Counseling in Pakistan
We have guided missiles for the defense of country but the great asset of any nation, Pakistani Youth is unguided, said famous student trainer Qasim Ali Shah. It is fact; there is no trend ofcareer counseling in Pakistan. Our educational institutes never thought about the career counseling of Pakistani students. All the developed countries like America, China and other European countries have developed the trend of career counseling or career guidance. There are some big renowned institutions now started career counseling in Pakistan.
Bridging the industry-academia gap - II
Aurangzeb Soharwardi
There are enormous environmental factors which have hampered industrial development and business growth in Pakistan. Bad governance, the energy crisis, financial embezzlement and corruption, rising inflation, high tax rates and the menace of terrorism have been the main impediments in hindering GDP growth, besides declining FDI. However, another important reason for this dilemma which requires more attention is the disrupted link between the industry and the academic world. Ironically, not much focus has been provided in this regard as education is placed very low on the government’s priority list. Business and technical education, for the last 15 years, has attracted great popularity mostly through the private sector.
Particularly after the year 2000, a huge number of universities in the public and private sector have been established. Many new degree programmes with a diverse range of subject combinations have been introduced. A number of universities have started dual degree programmes with foreign university collaborations, offering significant opportunities for students to study abroad in highly ranked universities. Establishment of higher education was also a useful step, which offered numerous scholarships and facilitated higher education for all.
There are enormous environmental factors which have hampered industrial development and business growth in Pakistan. Bad governance, the energy crisis, financial embezzlement and corruption, rising inflation, high tax rates and the menace of terrorism have been the main impediments in hindering GDP growth, besides declining FDI. However, another important reason for this dilemma which requires more attention is the disrupted link between the industry and the academic world. Ironically, not much focus has been provided in this regard as education is placed very low on the government’s priority list. Business and technical education, for the last 15 years, has attracted great popularity mostly through the private sector.
Particularly after the year 2000, a huge number of universities in the public and private sector have been established. Many new degree programmes with a diverse range of subject combinations have been introduced. A number of universities have started dual degree programmes with foreign university collaborations, offering significant opportunities for students to study abroad in highly ranked universities. Establishment of higher education was also a useful step, which offered numerous scholarships and facilitated higher education for all.
Youth: Trigger for change
Fakiha Hassan Rizvi
The younger generation is a precious asset for any nation as it is the future builder. Youth currently numbers 1.2 billion or approximately 18 percent of the world population out of which 62 percent of the youth is living in Asia alone. Youth, as defined by the Ministry of Youth Affairs Pakistan, is the population which falls under the age bracket of 15-29 years. The New Growth Framework of Pakistan points that the proportion of people under the age of 30 years is 68 percent out of which 32 percent is illiterate, 8.3 percent is self-employed, 9.5 percent is unemployed and only 2.5 percent has received On-Job training. These abysmal statistics not only depict the lack of concern by our government towards youth issues but also admonish about the possible extremism that may foment as a result of an illiterate and frustrated youth.
The younger generation is a precious asset for any nation as it is the future builder. Youth currently numbers 1.2 billion or approximately 18 percent of the world population out of which 62 percent of the youth is living in Asia alone. Youth, as defined by the Ministry of Youth Affairs Pakistan, is the population which falls under the age bracket of 15-29 years. The New Growth Framework of Pakistan points that the proportion of people under the age of 30 years is 68 percent out of which 32 percent is illiterate, 8.3 percent is self-employed, 9.5 percent is unemployed and only 2.5 percent has received On-Job training. These abysmal statistics not only depict the lack of concern by our government towards youth issues but also admonish about the possible extremism that may foment as a result of an illiterate and frustrated youth.
Need stressed for career counseling of youth
Karachi : Teachers should guide youth in career selection, as youth career counseling helps the student community in their future career planning, said speakers of a 6-day Youth Counseling Workshop jointly arranged by Youth Affairs Sindh, The capacity Builder & British Counsel at a local hotel.
Sindh Youth Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzvari, Secretary Youth Affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Director Y.A. Khursheed A. Sheikh, Director British Counsel Mashood Rizvi, Director The Capacity Builder Mansoor Naz Vindhani, spoke some 30 participants from Karachi University, Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, PECHS Girls College, Commerce College, SMB Fatima Govt. School & Gulbai Govt. School.
Earlier British Counsil Director Mashood Rizvi informed the attendants that the council will soon arranged a entry test of the participants for admission in the advance career counseling course of Warkwick University U.K.
Co-organizer of the workshop the capacity builder TCB Director Mansoor Naz Vindhani outlined the curriculum and scope of the workshop. He announced that the next session of Youth Career Counseling Workshop will be held in Hyderabad 12 to 17 December.
Sindh Youth Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzvari, Secretary Youth Affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Director Y.A. Khursheed A. Sheikh, Director British Counsel Mashood Rizvi, Director The Capacity Builder Mansoor Naz Vindhani, spoke some 30 participants from Karachi University, Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, PECHS Girls College, Commerce College, SMB Fatima Govt. School & Gulbai Govt. School.
Earlier British Counsil Director Mashood Rizvi informed the attendants that the council will soon arranged a entry test of the participants for admission in the advance career counseling course of Warkwick University U.K.
Co-organizer of the workshop the capacity builder TCB Director Mansoor Naz Vindhani outlined the curriculum and scope of the workshop. He announced that the next session of Youth Career Counseling Workshop will be held in Hyderabad 12 to 17 December.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/tNlcu
LCWU partners with British Council for Education Resource Centre
LAHORE - The Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Faculty Development Centre on Friday partnered with the British Council Pakistan to set up an International Education Resource Centre at LCWU.
The decision was made in a meeting between LCWU Vice Chancellor Dr Sabiha Mansoor, deans and heads of departments of the college and British Council Pakistan Education UK head Nadia Kamran.
Speaking on the occasion, Nadia Kamran said that the purpose of setting up the student hub was to promote international education programmes with the expressed goal of increasing knowledge transfer, student and staff mobility and sharing of best practices between the academic communities in Pakistan and the UK.
The British Council would facilitate, build the capacity and mentor 18 faculty members at the LCWU in the areas of Career Counseling, Transnational Education, Linkages and Research Collaboration, Digital Aspects of Internationalisation, Coordinating Activities and Publications, Attracting Regional Students, Business Entrepreneurship, Staff and Student Mobility and Social Entrepreneurship.
Kamran said that the selected faculty members would be trained for 6-8 weeks after which they would be kept in contact through meetings, e-mail, skype and video conferences so that they could enhance their administrative and managerial faculties to uplift their institution nationally and internationally.
Dr Sabiha Mansoor appreciated the British Council for their cooperation in this regard.
The decision was made in a meeting between LCWU Vice Chancellor Dr Sabiha Mansoor, deans and heads of departments of the college and British Council Pakistan Education UK head Nadia Kamran.
Speaking on the occasion, Nadia Kamran said that the purpose of setting up the student hub was to promote international education programmes with the expressed goal of increasing knowledge transfer, student and staff mobility and sharing of best practices between the academic communities in Pakistan and the UK.
The British Council would facilitate, build the capacity and mentor 18 faculty members at the LCWU in the areas of Career Counseling, Transnational Education, Linkages and Research Collaboration, Digital Aspects of Internationalisation, Coordinating Activities and Publications, Attracting Regional Students, Business Entrepreneurship, Staff and Student Mobility and Social Entrepreneurship.
Kamran said that the selected faculty members would be trained for 6-8 weeks after which they would be kept in contact through meetings, e-mail, skype and video conferences so that they could enhance their administrative and managerial faculties to uplift their institution nationally and internationally.
Dr Sabiha Mansoor appreciated the British Council for their cooperation in this regard.
She expressed the vision to raise the LCWU to the top 500 universities in the world, adding that setting up an international education resource centre would help achieve the goal.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/LwoXg
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/LwoXg
GCU students to ‘Teach for Pakistan’
LAHORE, Feb 1: The students of the Government College University (GCU), Lahore, with international organisation ‘Teach for Pakistan’ will teach public schools’ students improving their communication skills and knowledge besides developing their personality confidence.
This was stated by GCU faculty of science and technology dean Prof Dr Ikramul Haq at a meeting of GCU BS (Honours) final-year students on Wednesday.
Prof Haq said the varsity’s ‘Career Guidance and Placement Centre’ would sign an agreement with ‘Teach for Pakistan’ to assign teaching assignments to best of GCU volunteers at different under-resourced schools. He said volunteer teachers would coach, educate and motivate public schools’ students through modern teaching methodologies. He said that over 100 Ravians had volunteered for teaching at government schools.
‘Teach for Pakistan’ director recruitment Mariaum Ahmad said volunteers would also pay scholarship to the selected students taught at these schools. She said she hoped that every year, dozens of Ravians would teach at public schools in the country.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/jfndE
This was stated by GCU faculty of science and technology dean Prof Dr Ikramul Haq at a meeting of GCU BS (Honours) final-year students on Wednesday.
Prof Haq said the varsity’s ‘Career Guidance and Placement Centre’ would sign an agreement with ‘Teach for Pakistan’ to assign teaching assignments to best of GCU volunteers at different under-resourced schools. He said volunteer teachers would coach, educate and motivate public schools’ students through modern teaching methodologies. He said that over 100 Ravians had volunteered for teaching at government schools.
‘Teach for Pakistan’ director recruitment Mariaum Ahmad said volunteers would also pay scholarship to the selected students taught at these schools. She said she hoped that every year, dozens of Ravians would teach at public schools in the country.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/jfndE
Education Expo 2012 - Karachi
KARACHI: On the concluding day of two-day Education Expo 2012, thousands of students on Sunday thronged the Expo Centre as the students were of the view that the advice they received during the exhibition would help them develop a fruitful career.
Youth Helpline for free counseling - Punjab
THE Punjab government on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for establishment of a toll-free youth helpline.
The proposed Youth Helpline would provide free counseling on career related issues of youth and adolescents as well as counseling on emotional, psychological and reproductive health issues.
The MoU was signed by Punjab Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Department Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik and Plan Pakistan Country Director Rashid Javed. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Irfan Ahmed, a senior health advisor of Plan International, said Pakistan was the sixth most populous country in the world and currently had one of the largest cohorts of young people in its history, with approximately 25 million people between the age of 15 and 24. Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik pointed that there was a need to guide the young people in right direction so they could build their career according to their metal ability.
The proposed Youth Helpline would provide free counseling on career related issues of youth and adolescents as well as counseling on emotional, psychological and reproductive health issues.
The MoU was signed by Punjab Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Department Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik and Plan Pakistan Country Director Rashid Javed. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Irfan Ahmed, a senior health advisor of Plan International, said Pakistan was the sixth most populous country in the world and currently had one of the largest cohorts of young people in its history, with approximately 25 million people between the age of 15 and 24. Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik pointed that there was a need to guide the young people in right direction so they could build their career according to their metal ability.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/dGpDY
Warid engages in career counselling at IBA fair
KARACHI: Aimed at transforming futures by providing lucrative learning and growth opportunities, the Warid Telecom reached out to students at IBA career fair 2012.
The Company’s recruitment and staffing team along with senior team member provided career counseling, coaching and career advice to the students.
Warid Telecom stressed the importance of providing timely career counseling and advice to youngsters by highlighting the existing void between employers and graduating students.
Warid’s plans to become one of the leading employers in the telecom industry of Pakistan, the representatives elaborated on some of the upcoming interactive and creative student support programmes to strengthen Warid’s bond and commitment towards society.
A large number of students turned up to explore career opportunities available with Warid Telecom.
This initiative was greatly appreciated by students and career offices alike, this event was organised at the IBA Main Campus by the IBA Career Development Society (ICDS).
The Company’s recruitment and staffing team along with senior team member provided career counseling, coaching and career advice to the students.
Warid Telecom stressed the importance of providing timely career counseling and advice to youngsters by highlighting the existing void between employers and graduating students.
Warid’s plans to become one of the leading employers in the telecom industry of Pakistan, the representatives elaborated on some of the upcoming interactive and creative student support programmes to strengthen Warid’s bond and commitment towards society.
A large number of students turned up to explore career opportunities available with Warid Telecom.
This initiative was greatly appreciated by students and career offices alike, this event was organised at the IBA Main Campus by the IBA Career Development Society (ICDS).
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/vvL99
Monday, April 2, 2012
Aga Khan school organises career exhibition
The Aga Khan Secondary School organized a career exhibition at its premises in Karimabad on Sunday where representatives from many reputed universities briefed students on the programmes they offered.
One of the unique features of the exhibition was the “career-guru zone” where students met professionals from various fields and sought career guidance. The professionals belonged to aeronautical engineering, telecommunications, architecture, business administration and the social sciences.
More than 20 higher education institutions, including the Aga Khan University, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, the Institute of Business Administration, the National University of Science and Technology and the NED University of Engineering and Technology, participated in this exhibition.
Officers from the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Air Force were also present to guide students about career opportunities.Students were also informed about educational opportunities in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany and Dubai.
Representatives from the British Council and the United States Education Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) were also present to guide students about scholarship options.During the opening ceremony, Dr Sadruddin Pardhan, head of operations of the AKESP, said that the career exhibition was yet another initiative by the AKESP to reach out to thousands of students and provide them with an opportunity to become life-long learners.
Original link: http://tinyurl.com/83t5cqn
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