About the Project
This project is one of the 2019 WISE Awards finalists.
CareerAware is run through the school system, is part of secondary school policy and by a cadre of trained career facilitators – 40,000 students have been counselled so far, 76% of them have a clear career plan and more than 90% of them show an intent to stay in education at least until grade 12.
Context and Issue
India provides free and compulsory education to all children until the age of 14 (Grade 8/9). India’s poorest adolescents are in government run secondary schools1, where data shows a steep drop out rate of close to 50%.The turbulence of adolescence is exacerbated by the systemic hurdles of lack of access and awareness that poverty forces upon these children, making the transition to postsecondary education even more challenging.
Solution and Impact
Antarang addresses this challenge through CareerAware, a 2-year career guidance and decision-making program for students in grades 9 and 10 that ensures access, awareness and action.
- Access: Through a unique activity-based career guidance tool administered by a cadre of trained career facilitators to every student in class 9, it ensures that every adolescent, irrespective of geography and the availability of technology has access to career guidance.
- Awareness: The tool exposes children to mainstream career options most relevant to them along with a framework that builds in them the skill to evaluate options. Parents and the school system (headmasters) are also exposed to the same career options through specific awareness modules to encourage support.
- Action: Through a proprietary software, custom career counselling reports are generated for every child. One on one counselling for children along with their parents by the career facilitators puts decision making and agency back into the hands of students, enabling them with the awareness to make informed career decisions in line with their strengths and realities.