How to futureproof your students’ choices

It can be easy, as a counsellor, to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Often, your day-to-day role involves dealing with senior students making shortlists too early, with little understanding of what they really want to do and which university type is the best fit for them.

What this often means is that students – especially those who go overseas to study – end up dropping out of university in their first year, and then reapplying and changing pathways.

Looking at the bigger picture, what is useful is to put in place a structured programme that builds capacity in students to broaden their understanding of your role as a counsellor of future pathways – rather than simply as a university counsellor. In this capacity, you can then increase their knowledge of the breadth of skills needed to be successful in their future pathways – and, ultimately, at their chosen university.

Developing skills for future needs

Students should begin by identifying their strengths. This can lead to a decision about certain career clusters that they could pursue, in order to build on these strengths. They would then complete a student-led research project, before any mention of universities and applications is made.

Sessions, workshops and projects could focus on:

1. Employers’ needs

Employers’ needs are ever-changing, and so students need to understand that education is a lifelong pursuit, and that the power of microcredentials will be key. Universities are also moving towards this way of thinking. For example, the National University of Singapore has offered students the opportunity to sign up for 20 years, giving them access to microcredentials and free credit for their future. Students should, therefore, widen their ideas and thoughts regarding careers beyond the normal “doctor or lawyer” trajectory.

2. Creativity and critical thinking

Big employers, such as Google and Apple, say that they’re more interested in applicants’ personalities than in their qualifications. Use the five-dollar challenge to educate students about the need for creativity and ingenuity, and to help them develop their own personalities.

3. AI skills and adaptability

Deliver a presentation on the many reports into future skills, such as those produced by the World Economic Forum. But remind students that these future skills are not set in stone and will most likely change before your students reach employment. What does this mean for them?

4. Global mindset

Emphasise the need for intercultural understanding through workshops and by using books such as The Culture Map, by Erin Meyer.

5. Sustainability

Almost all International Baccalaureate courses now link to sustainability and global “wicked problems”. You can focus on how an awareness of sustainability is valued by employers in every career cluster area.

Putting rankings into context

Students would benefit from a series of workshops on choosing a university that honestly discuss rankings, methodologies and how these elements link to their search for their best-fit university.

The introduction of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings would be an interesting discussion piece. Understanding the context behind university rankings can really help students to find the best-fit university for them.

In addition, a short series of coffee mornings for parents could cover the main areas discussed above, and would allow parents to ask questions. This would build capacity in the parent group, as well as improving understanding and relationships between the schools future-pathways department and parents.

This could then lead into the usual student-parent careers and university counselling meetings – with the significant difference that now students (and their parents) would have a greater breadth of knowledge on which to base their ideas about university and college applications, and their future career choices.