According to Guidelines for Implementation of Senior School Education (2025), the schema for Career Guidance and Counselling in Senior Schools (Grades 10-12) will focus on three major areas, which include: (1) Self-awareness, (2) Career Exploration, and (3) Career Mapping. We shall delve deeper into the brass tacks of this tripartite structure before we conclude this 26th treatise on Competency-Based Education (CBE). This is just a sneak peek, a brief, early look at something that is not yet publicly available, such as a new product, movie, or event. Dear reader, I argue this way because the pioneers of CBE will be admitted into Senior Schools in 2026.
In the whole scheme of things, Career Counselling and Guidance, play a pivotal role in assisting learners in making important decisions concerning their academic work and choice of Career Pathways. We can all acknowledge, learners need knowledge in order to identify their strengths, explore potential careers, and set realistic goals based on their skillset. They also need to see and seize infinite spectra of opportunities available in Kenya, and beyond. So, when Grade 10 learners join Senior Schools in 2026, they need good guidance about Career Pathways, Tracks and subjects. They also need advice on oodles of opportunities, and career prospects connected to various Career Pathways.
Meaning, earlier exposure of Grades 10-12 learners to Career Guidance and Services will assist them make correct career choices, which match their career plans and education aspirations. In the new education dispensation, every Senior School will be expected to establish a Career Guidance Committee, which will implement and co-ordinate Career Guidance Programmes. The committee shall be chaired by the Senior Master or Mistress. Then, Heads of Subjects will be the members of the committee. They will be expected to organise career talks facilitated by career experts in line with National Policy Framework for Career Guidance in Kenya (2024), whose schemata spells out three categories of people that can give credible career guidance: Career educators, career counsellors and career specialists. They will provide Career Guidance and Counselling Services in Senior Schools to assist Grades 10-12 learners identify potential career paths and suitable post-Senior School institutions. This bit is achieved in the triad structure of Career Guidance and Counselling Services to be offered in Senior Schools, which include: (1) Self-awareness, (2) Career Exploration, and (3) Career Mapping.
- Self-Awareness
In actual sense, the Life Skill of self-awareness or intra-personal skills, assist learners to attain a deeper understanding of themselves. Self-awareness means that they know their own qualities, which revolve around inherent interests, character traits, talents, gifts, mindsets, skillsets and values. These aforementioned aspects are needed while making correct career choices. Therefore, it will be important to encourage learners in Senior School to go through Personality Tests so as to ascertain their unique personalities, as well as know how to attain a jig-saw fit in college and university programmes. Students should discover how to develop strong foundational skills for post-Senior Schools programmes that require in-depth study, research and analytical skills. This underscores the essence of training them on how to conduct research, use library resources, and evaluate sources of career information. For these skills will be essential while doing more academic work in college and world of work. For students interested to join middle-level colleges, emphasise the development of practical skills, which are relevant in their field such as laboratory work, technical drawing and field exercises. Familiarise students with digital platforms, online learning tools and essential software. For various varsities incorporate digital resources into teaching and learning. Then, provide opportunities for students to handle change and challenge, take constructive feedback, and recover from setbacks while building resilience for experiences at the tertiary.
- Career Exploration
Ideally, Career Exploration aids learners to connect what they learn in classroom with the dynamic world of work. So, in Career Exploration it will be important to encourage learners to read, research, consult and create proper profiles of careers they have intense interest to pursue after Senior School. They will have to find out requisite skills, qualifications, work conditions, and future prospects, which are in line with careers they envision to pursue in future. This is where learners should also be aware of sources of career information such as career magazines, newspaper articles, Careerpedias, books, catalogues, et cetera. For this is how they will understand the current job market trends. As well as anticipate future career opportunities. In the bid to expose and broaden learner’s understanding Senior Schools will have to provide sufficient information about diverse fields and raft of programmes offered in universities and colleges.
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Therefore, it will be important to work with students to create individualised pathway plans that focus on target institutions, programmes and qualifications. Learners in Senior School should take 7 subjects where 4 are core, that is: English, Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language (KSL), Community Service Learning (CSL) and Essential Mathematics or Core-Mathematics. The other 3 subjects should be selected from the Career Pathways of choice: STEM, Social Sciences and Arts and Sports Science.
It is instructive to note: Students should to be made to understand the entry requirements, and application process through Kenya Universities and Colleges (KUCCPS) portal. For learners will have to meet the specific minimum grade threshold at the end of Grade 12 assessment: Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE). It will also be important to make students become aware of the documents needed such as results slip, recommendation letters, and certificates of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, as well as learner exit file. It will be important to assist students in navigating the application process, which may vary for university or college. In this regard, there will be the need of offering good guidance and advice on personal statements, entrance exams and portfolio requirements.
Meaning, as part of Career Exploration, advisedly, students Senior School should get good guidance on how they will fund their studies at the tertiary level by exploring different avenues such as household contributions, scholarships, loans, grants, work study programmes and part time jobs. By the same token, it is important to talk about apprenticeship, internship and mentorship (AIM) Programmes for students at tertiary levels of learning.
- Career Mapping
Through Career Mapping, learners take pro-active steps towards achieving their future goals and careers. Advisedly, it is worth it to use tools and models such as RIASEC — realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional (Holland, 1966): to assess learners’ interests, attitudes, aptitudes, abilities, talents, values and personalities. In line with this, it will be worth it, to provide access to counselling and peer mentorship programmes so as to address concerns hence ensure that learners feel supported during transition. Finally, encourage learners to set realistic goals, manage stress and manage stupendous strategies of adapting in new environments. Create awareness on self-advocacy, decision-making skills, as well as seeking support and guidance when need be. For students who will fit in post-Senior School institutions should be able to understand independence and self-reliance.
By Victor Ochieng’
Victor Ochieng’ is Career Educator. He speaks to Grade 10 learners and parents in the plenary session of Induction/Orientation into Senior School. He guides Grade 10 learners on Choice of Career Pathways. He trains Senior Masters/Mistresses and Career Guidance Committees on Best Career Guidance Practices and Programmes in Senior Schools. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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