Kerala govt initiates online career guidance for students

The students will be guided on various courses, entrance examinations, job prospects, reputed educational institutions and scholarship opportunities.
The Career Guidance Adolescent Counselling Cell functioning under the higher secondary section has been entrusted with the task.  (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)
The Career Guidance Adolescent Counselling Cell functioning under the higher secondary section has been entrusted with the task. (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With an aim to ensure that students remain engaged with their syllabus amid the lockdown, the General Education Department has initiated an online career guidance programme. Class X and Class XII students are set to benefit from the programme streamlined to enable them to pick courses in line with their skills.

The Career Guidance Adolescent Counselling Cell functioning under the higher secondary section has been entrusted with the task. The government has appointed 10 career guidance trainers in each district.  Training is being carried out using platforms like WhatsApp video calls and live video streaming on smartphones, with trainers clearing students’ doubts through two-way communication.

They will be guided on various courses, entrance examinations, job prospects, reputed educational institutions and scholarship opportunities. The programme will also create an opportunity to interact with career experts from various fields, thereby helping to allay the anxiety of students. For Class X students, the department has also arranged an online aptitude test called K-DAT (Kerala Differential Aptitude Test) to help students select courses suiting their aptitude.

K-DAT is a series of assignments designed to measure individual ability to learn or to achieve in different areas. The test areas considered are abstract reasoning, verbal ability, verbal reasoning, space relations, mechanical reasoning and numerical ability.

“This is the first time in the country that an aptitude test for students is being conducted to enable them to select courses and careers,” General Education Secretary A Shahjahan told The New Indian Express. 

“We will guide them so that they can make suitable higher education and career choices, and eventually succeed. A total of 200 teachers are leading the K-DAT test in the state. Students with computers and smartphones at home can appear for this online test. Several students are interested to become a part of the programme, which is a good sign."

For those interested in the programme, the government has opened a toll free number –- 18004252843 -- which will be functional between 10am and 4pm.

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The New Indian Express
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