The labour market is changing fast. How do you help pupils choose a course that still offers prospects in five years? Practical tips for careers counsellors.
The labour market is changing fast. Professions that did not exist ten years ago are now ordinary. And the other way round: jobs that were always there are disappearing or changing beyond recognition. For pupils choosing a course right now, that is quite complicated. How do you choose something that still offers prospects in five or ten years? In this article you can read how, as a careers counsellor, you help pupils connect the labour market and their study choice sensibly.
Why the labour market and study choice belong together
Many pupils choose a course based on what they enjoy. That is a good start, but it is not enough. A course lasts years. If a pupil graduates into a sector where there is hardly any work, all that effort is wasted.
That does not mean pupils should choose purely for security. Interest and motivation matter a great deal for succeeding in a course. But when you bring labour market information into the conversation, you give pupils a fuller picture. They can then weigh things up more consciously: does this course fit who I am, and does it fit what will be needed later?
During career guidance, talk not only about dreams but also about practice. Which sectors are growing? Where are the shortages? And which skills are asked for everywhere?
Skills as a compass for study choice
A useful way to connect the labour market and study choice is to focus on skills rather than on specific professions. Job titles change, but skills stay valuable for longer.
Suppose a pupil wants to do something with engineering and is also good at communicating. Then dozens of directions are possible: from mechanical engineering to industrial engineering or computer science. By looking at what someone can do and wants to do, and at which skills the labour market asks for, the choice becomes more concrete.
Ask pupils:
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What are you good at?
- What kind of working environment do you see yourself in later?
Combine those answers with current information about the labour market. That way pupils discover directions that really fit them and offer opportunities. Icares Quest helps with that: pupils explore professions and courses based on their interests and skills. They quickly get a realistic picture of what suits them. See how Quest works.
How to hold the conversation
As a counsellor you have an important part. You can make the conversation about the labour market normal. Not as something to fear, but as useful information.
A few tips:
Use concrete figures. Government bodies regularly publish information about the labour market and shortage occupations. Show pupils which sectors are growing and which are shrinking. For reliable data have a look at werk.nl, the website of the Dutch employee insurance agency.
Talk about flexibility. A course prepares pupils for several professions, not for one specific job. Do not only ask pupils "what do you want to be?" but also "what kind of work suits you?" That is a broader question and it gives more room.
Discuss the long term. Help pupils think about what their choice looks like in five years. Not to frighten them, but to help them be realistic.
Use good tools. With the right tools you can help pupils quickly and precisely. A professions test or study choice tool gives insight into interests and shows which directions fit. That makes the conversation a lot more concrete.
A considered choice is a better choice
The labour market and study choice do not have to be opposites. A pupil who chooses on the basis of interest and prospects stands stronger. That choice is not only enjoyable, it is also realistic.
As a counsellor you can make that difference. By starting the conversation, asking good questions and offering the right information. Want to know how Icares supports your school with that? Book a demo and find out what is possible.