Vocational guidance and counseling center

Vocational guidance and counseling

1. Organized by: GIZ-STEP Program, in collaboration with Game Changers Consulting PLC ToT Training on: Counseling Guidelines and Techniques 17 th – 19 th May, 2024 Elilley International Hotel, Addis Ababa

2. 2 እን ኳ ን ደህና መጣችሁ ::

3. Participant’s Introduction Pair with the person next to you, share your Personal information & introduce one another to the plenary: Name: Organization & Job Positions: Educational Background: Marital Status: Future plan: Have you ever participated on VGC related trainings? Your experience in short?

4. Expectations Check Individually; Tell us at least three expectation from this ToT training? Stick them on the flipchart

5. Ground Rules Do’s and Not Do’s during the training?

6. Objectives of the TOT Training The objectives of providing TOT training for VGC center coordinators on "Smooth Operationalization of VGC Centers" are: 1. To develop the knowledge and skills of VGC center counselors in counseling guidelines and technics 2. To enhance the understanding of VGC center staffs on the importance of vocational guidance and counseling in supporting individuals in making informed career decisions. 3. To equip counselors to provide assistance to the individuals to acquire greater self-awareness in areas such as interests, values, abilities, and personality style. 4. To enhance the GC centers staffs to linking individuals to sources so that they can become more well-informed about occupations and professions. 5. To empower the VGC center staffs to support individuals to be dynamic administrators of their vocational paths 6

7. Training Delivery Methods Presentation / Gap - Lecture Group discussions Brainstorming Practical Exercise Case story Questioning and Answering Experience sharing

8. Day 1

9. Before Tea Break I. Introduction Overview of Vocational Guidance and Counseling (VGC) Importance of VGC centers in promoting career development and enhancing employability Characteristics of Vocational guidance and Counseling services Before Lunch Goals and Objectives of VGC service centers within the TVET Institutions Benefits of having VGC centers within TVET institutions Importance of counseling guidelines and techniques in VGC centers Before Tea Break Definition of Guidance & Counseling Definition of Guidance Definition of Counseling Before Closure Concept of vocational guidance and counseling 1.1. Guidance and counseling 1.2. Counseling in TVT institution 1.3. Vocational guidance and counseling Ethics of vocational guidance & counselor 2.1. Privacy and confidentiality 2.2. Skills required from Vocational Guidance and Counselor 2.3. Characteristics of Vocational guidance and counseling personnel 2.4. The role of Vocational Guidance and Counselor Day 1 schedule

10. Definition of Counseling A branch of applied psychology that focuses on: Personal and interpersonal functioning across the lifespan A holistic view of emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental and organisational concerns The delivery of evidence-based psychological therapy The potential for development and growth of all clients Practical Definition of Counseling A helping profession that involves one person (the counselor) helping another person (the client) to work through some difficult or painful emotional, behavioral or relationship problem or difficulty It Requires an understanding and acceptance of one’s personal history combined with an explicit use of psychological theories to analyse the process of a particular therapy, or counselling situation.

11. What do Counsellors do? Help people with physical, emotional, behavioural and psychological ‘disorders’ Help people improve their wellbeing Alleviate distress and maladjustment Resolve crises Increase clients’ abilities to live more highly functioning lives Who do they work with? Counsellors can work with Individuals, Couples, Families Groups of all ages across the lifespan.

12. Group discussion and presentation 10 minute for discussion and 5 minute for presentation What are the most common activities of counselor?

13. Most common activities Provision of psychological therapy , which includes: Assessment – whereby the counsellor seeks to gain an understanding of the difficulties from the client’s perspective, taking into account the wider context. Formulation – developing an explanation of how and why the particular difficulties have arisen and are experienced by the client. Planning and implementing a course of psychological therapy Evaluating the outcome of the therapy.

14. Where Do Counsellors Work? primary care, Community Mental Health Teams, tertiary settings for psychiatric in-patients, specialist services for older adults, those with eating disorders, personality disorders, learning difficulties, and in general health care settings where psychological services are offered. Prison and probation services Social services Voluntary/charitable organisations Employee assistance programmes Occupational health departments Student counselling departments Private practice

15. Basic Principles of Counseling The Counseling Program must recognize the right and capability of the individual to make decisions and plans. The Counseling Program must respect the worth and dignity of the individual--every individual. The Counseling Program must recognize the uniqueness of the individual and the individual’s right to that uniqueness. The counselor should be a role model of positive human relations--unbiased, equal treatment.

16. Results of counseling Results of counseling can include: Insight and understanding of oneself, with greater self-awareness. Changing of one's beliefs and mental models. Increased acceptance and appreciation of oneself. Increased Intelligence Increased ability to control oneself and one's urges. Development of skills and abilities that require self-management.

17. Results Count…. Improved motivation towards actions that are good for one's self. Understanding of others and why they act as they do. Increased appreciation and care for others. Improvement in relationships with others. Changing of relationship with family, friends and others. Making amends for past negative actions. In summary, counseling typically leads to resolution of a living problem, learning of some kind and/or improvements in social inclusion.

18. Aims of Counseling Counseling aims to help people: Understand their situation more clearly. Identify options for improving the situation. Make choices that fit their values, feelings and needs. Make their own decisions and act on them. Cope better with a problem. Provide support for others while preserving their own strength. Develop life skills.

19. Don’ts of Counseling Giving advice / Telling someone what to do Imposing Making decisions or actions on behalf of clients Interfering Interrogating Blaming Preaching or lecturing Making a promise that you can‘t keep Moralizing Imposing your own beliefs on clients Arguing with clients Judging Only giving information Criticizing Disciplining Interviewing

20. Vocational Guidance and counseling (VGC) Vocational Guidance and counseling (VGC) entail services and activities intended to assist individuals in making and implementing informed educational and occupational choices. It helps individuals acquire the knowledge, information, skills and experiences necessary to identify vocational options and narrow them down to make vocational decisions. During the past two decades a mismatch has been evident in Ethiopia between the skills imparted by the TVT and those demanded by the work- place. In Ethiopia, young people, particularly those from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, struggle to find stable employment because they lack vocational guidance and counseling information on the demand of the labor market.

21. Understanding the concept of Vocational Guidance and Counseling VGC provides services , programs and resources which facilitate trainee’s vocational development and employability. VGC promotes an understanding of the world of work through establishment of VGC in TVT institutions will empower trainees to make the right vocational choices . VGC is an important part of an institution’s overall academic program. It helps trainees to understand the complexities of the job market as well as life after graduation. The VGC office provides individual advise and campus wide networking. Guidance and counseling office in TVTs can significantly impact trainee vocational outcomes. Vocational Development refers to a life- long process of managing learning, work, and change in order to move toward a personally decided and growing preferred future.

22. Group discussion and presentation 1 . What is the aim of vocational guidance and counseling? 2. What are the benefits of VGC centers in TVT institution? 3. What are the challenges VGC enter staffs face?

23. Characteristics of Vocational guidance and Counseling S ervices The following are the characteristics of VGC services: Assure and facilitate throughout an individual’s life , participation and access to, vocational and vocational information and guidance, job placement services, job search techniques and training support services Promote and facilitate the use of information and communication technology as well as traditional best practices in vocational information and guidance Identify in consultation with the social partners, roles and responsibilities of employment s ervices, training providers and other relevant service providers with respect to vocational Provide information and guidance on entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurial skills, and raise awareness among educators and trainers .

24. Objectives of Vocational Guidance and Counseling Providing assistance to the individuals to acquire greater self-awareness in areas such as interests, values, abilities, and personality style. Linking individuals to sources so that they can become more well- informed about occupations and professions. Involving individuals in the decision- making process so that they can choose a vocational path that is well suited to their own interests, values, abilities, requirements and personality style, Supporting individuals to be dynamic administrators of their vocational path s including management of vocational transitions and balancing various life roles as well as becoming lifelong learners in the sense of professional development over the life time.

25. Benefits of Having VGC Centers within TVT Institutions Information: Trainees will be well informed, build their skills - make purposeful and profitable career choices Lower risk of unemployment : Prepare trainees for the rapidly changing labour economy hence enhancing their employability Lifelong learning goals: Combating early school leaving and ensuring an adequate knowledge and skills base to meet the challenges in creating knowledge-based societies in the context of economic globalization, and promoting adequate linkages between education training and the world of work Reducing mismatches : between supply and demand for labour , dealing with unemployment and improving labour mobility Social equity and social inclusion goals : Promoting re-integration of marginalized and at-risk groups into education, training and employment and mainstreaming of excluded groups into general training programmes and labour market services.

26. Challenges Vocational guidance and counselors face Inadequate VGC information: VGC officers do not have sufficient information on the job market. Some may not have the technical knowhow on how to access the information required. Under skilled VGC: Majority of the officers manning VGC offices are appointed from among trainers. Low budget for VGC: Budgets allocated for VGC infrastructure and activities such as vocation outreach are usually very small. Inadequate policy guidelines and framework : Inadequate policy guidelines hinder operationalization of VGC office functions. Inadequate digital literacy : Vocational and guidance officers heavily rely on ICT

27. End of day 1 End of Day 1