Career planning and decision making is one of the most crucial aspects of an individual's life. It is an important factor that will have a lasting effect on both individual and the community at large. Concerning the individual, career decision involves long range commitments and influences one's thoughts, feelings and action for years to come. Given the current situation, opportunity for a Tibetan child are very limited in terms of educational and social field. Thus a wrong career choice can really bring a lot of dissatisfaction and frustration to an individual's future prospects. After all every human being desire is not only getting the job, but needs progress in his/her career. At this critical juncture, the Tibetans cannot afford to occur such loss, moreover keeping in mind that we in exile have great responsibility to prepare ourselves fully to serve in independent Tibet. Thus in order to help each individual student to realize his/her ultimate dream by making career decision in a rational manner and to become a self sufficiency towards a responsible citizens, the Department of Education, Career Resource Cell war formally set up in April, 1998.

So far one full time counselor is directing the services, yet the Career Resource Cell manages its best services the needs of all Tibetan students of schools which are under Department of Education (D.o.E), Tibetan Children's Village (T.C.V), Tibetan Homes Foundation (T.H.E), Central Tibetan School's Administration (C.T.S.A) and other autonomous and private schools in India, Nepal and Bhutan. In the course of time when the cell gets better organized and equipped with men and materials, better organized and equipped with men and materials, it hopes to make career education an integral part of school education.

Importance of Career Planning:

The choice of career is possibly one of the most critical decisions of an individual life. It shapes one's future and determines one's lifestyles.

Yet in the Tibetan community there are educated youth who do not have careers nor jobs. Unemployment among college educated youth has been recently trend and is a new issue before us as the demand in the job market had become so competitive. A large part of the problem is that due to inadequate knowledge and unrealistic professional aspiration, graduating students from college continue depend to seek out careers in Tibetan Administrative Services as it a known fact that the government can't accommodate huge graduates every year where there are limited job options, when on the other side there are hundreds of alternative options opening up everyday for those made aware of their aptitudes and strengths, and provided the appropriate information.

Thirty years ago these opportunities does not exist in the world of work. There were limited career and standard routes to those careers; they depended on the subject of study in college. So science students who took up physics and chemistry were supposed to go into engineering; if instead they wanted to get into medicine, they had to choose biology and zoology, and if they took up maths, the only option was to become a chartered accountant. In the area of humanities it was no better. With economics and history you could sit for the Tibetan Administrative Service exam, with Tibetan in Sarnath, Varanasi, and if you didn't want to go college, you go for sweater business and in the fields where you were cut off from the rest of the world.

Changing Scenario:

However, today, it is a completely different scenario, with Tibetans students finding jobs in Indian administration and abroad and with rapid growth of industry and business, innumerable career opportunities exist and are being created all the time not just in the country but also abroad. But only few youngsters are aware of these opportunities for jobs in practically every field.

This is not to state that unemployment can be removed by providing suitable career counseling, but it can go a long way in providing directions to youngsters on the myriad routes open to them. Today for every subject studied there are myriad career options, both in the organised as well as the unorganised sector. Moreover, new jobs and new career specialization are being created everyday. But the problems and predicaments faced by young people when choosing a career are well acknowledged. Among other things there are the pressures of conforming to social norms and parental expectations, there is also lack of suitable training institutions, and dearth of career guidance services in our schools. It is also dominated by heredity and material considerations. As a result, career decision is made on the basis of chance, rather than choice. Never has it therefore been as important as it today for young people to identify their interest and abilities and work towards a career that matches their talents.

The selection of suitable career begins with a truthful analysis of one's capabilities as well as limitations, followed up by a look at the field of employment best suited to these talents, from which to exercise one's options. It also requires a clear appraisal of the current career trends, which are indicative of the job market tomorrow. It is important that personal inclination are taken into account when making the selection as dedication comes from an enjoyment of one's work.

It must also be borne in mind that a career is an integrated life-long plan of earning a living, unlike a job, which may be a stage of this long-term plan, held only for a particular duration. Therefore career plan necessiate meticulous thought and planning, keeping in mind one's goal and clear ideas of expectations from that career. To do this student along with their parents or teachers need to invest more strategically and systematically than ever before in career building plans. This can be done by evaluating the current thrust of career trends to avoid the fully subscribed and the potential glut areas as well as the glamorous appeal of jobs which do not make for a steady career; by specialising in requisite subject combination in school while ensuring manoeurvability for adapting to changing demands in the career path; and, by acquiring extra skills and new learning techniques.

Career Planning and Tibetan Community:

Career decision has far reaching implications to the Tibetan community. Looking to the present trends we need to build up a strong human resources so as to meet the present as well as future needs. It is not so worthy to argue that a work of Kalon is more so important than of a clerical staff, however we all involved in different kinds of job contributes in some way or other for the development of society and preservation of our unique culture. The material development and financial consideration is given much importance by the present generation and if service point is not given greater importance, then it would be very difficult to run the society smoothly.

Obviously, such a community can not function, not to talk of making any progressive development. It is because of such reasons that every society must plan and distribute its human resources, both in quality and quantity, so that societal needs and aspirations will be fulfilled.

WHAT IS D.O.E. "CAREER RESOURCE CELL":
Brief Note on "Department of Education"

On coming into exile, one of the highest priorities of our leader, H.H. Dalai Lama (recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998) was to educate the young children many of whom were orphaned. Hence in 1960, the Dept. Of Education (DoE), then named Council for Tibetan Education (CTE), was established as one of the 7 major Department in the Central Tibetan Administration (Tibetan Exile Govt.) Its main aim was to preserve the unique cultural identity and educate the children to the high standards required for the eventful return to Tibet to once again run our own affairs.

Today, the DOE has 86 Tibetan schools in India, Nepal & Bhutan with the total enrollment of over 28,000 students. The DoE is responsible for overseeing the educational activities of all these schools. Besides this, the DoE has a wide variety of other functions like a) providing sponsorship & scholarships, b) Publication, supplying and reviewing all Tibetan text books for the 86 schools, c) publishing children's magazines and story books in Tibetan, d) recruitment of teachers and provision of in-service teacher's training, e) creation of new schools, repair/renovation of school buildings and provision of necessary school infrastructure like libraries, toilets, etc., f) Career counseling to the students, etc.,

Aims of the DoE:

• To oversee the educational and welfare needs of Tibetan refugee children in exile
• To provide basic education to every Tibetan refugee child
• To provide modern scientific/technical education and skills
• To preserve and promote the Tibetan language, culture and our identity as Tibetans amongst the younger generation.
• To inculcate value of personal integrity and universal responsibility and
• To address the human resource requirement of the Tibetan community in exile and future Tibet

Counseling children at the threshold of life on how best they can plan or shape their future, what career opportunities and avenues of employment are open to them, and what factors they should keep in mind in making career choice wisely is providing the right information. The world of work is changing very fast. To keep pace with emerging vocations it has become necessary to remain informed about these developments. Well documented vocational information is required by students who pass out class ten or twelve to select appropriate courses of studies for higher education or professional training.

The Career Resource Cell is the only center for Tibetan students in India where they can access for information on various career fields. The cell has also taken initiation of distributing various informations through an integrated approach.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF CAREER RESOURCE CELL:

• Encouraging and helping each Tibetan student to grow and progress by achieving a clear understanding and acceptance of one's strength, interest, abilities, weaknesses, skills and values.
• Helping each student to understand the opportunities open to them and the required input for the goal one sets.
• Chalking out and implementing career education programs in relation to the national priorities of man power requirements in exile and for a an independent Tibet.
• Initiating field action programs in all Tibetan schools in exile on a planned basis.
• Developing a full-fledged Career Resource Cell in the Department.
• Guiding students in college admission and other vocational/polytechnic institutes.
• Publishing career literature in order to disseminate accurate information of avenues open before them.
• Providing information regarding job opportunities and avenues for desirous graduate students.
• Acting as a catalyst between the government in reducing unemployment by introducing career education at primary level of education.

Based on the above objective following are some of the activities presently carried out by DoE, Career Resource Cell:

1. CAREER INFORMATION :

The key to wise career decision-making is information. The world of work is also changing very fast. To keep pace with emerging vocations, it has become necessary to inform about these developments. Well-documented vocational information is required by students who pass class ten or twelve to select appropriate courses of studies for higher education or professional training. The DoE Career Resource Cell is located at the Department's main office with 200 books and literature on various career fields. The Cell also has rich collection of prospectus and information of various colleges and institutes in India. Information of various colleges and Universities of other countries are also available.
2. FIELD ACTION PROGRAMS:

To make our program more practical and goal oriented, a plan is already formulated to have an out-reach programs in all Tibetan schools by the counselor. So far the counselor has visited several Central School for Tibetans, TCV in India and few autonomous Tibetan schools in Nepal.

The initial focus during these visits were mainly to assess and understand the need and problems faced by the individual students in career planning and decision making simultaneously provide solutions.

3. INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING:

Students can request for appointments with the counselor at the Department at an appropriate time to discuss on career planning and decision making, course selection, college admission, emotional problems, job avenues and other personal related problems. The counselor is also interested to be responsive to the students with their special needs.
4. SCHOLARSHIP & FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

In addition to providing information on various career options, the cell in close coordination with the scholarship section would be jointly responsible for providing scholarship information to all Tibetan students in accordance with the guidelines framed by DoE scholarship committee. The cell also provides necessary information to the students who go on with Full Bright & Special scholarship for their further studies in USA, England, Israel and other European countries.
5. COLLEGE ADMISSION SUPPORT:

At present though with inadequate manpower and resources, the cell provides guidelines and information on possibilities of admission for Tibetans students. The cell also has received encouraging response from some of the colleges as it has good rapport, after years of nurturing and upbringing carefully, it is worthwhile to see that students enter colleges with adequate knowledge. Therefore in the coming years one of its important strategy will be to set up a college placement cell in all four regions. However every year placement cell in all four regions. However every year around 300 students gets scholarship from the Department and they badly need college placement.
6. JOB INFORMATION:

As the unemployment trend has gradually becoming a very big issue within our society, especially among college graduates, where they are not able to get the right job as per their specialization subject. At present the unemployment rate is nearly 500 to 700 and every year increasing. It needs to be addressed seriously. The cell in close coordination with Public Service Commission & other CTA department's and institutions tries best to inform students the needs of Tibetan society and availability of jobs regularly.

It also aim at counseling students from lower level of school, where students are motivated to move in proper direction to seek a respectable job as per their aspirations. The problem is lack of proper building of human resources at the primary stages. Though it is gigantic task, but the cell is slowly trying to fill the gap.

7. EVALUATION:

Periodic and systematic evaluation is being conducted by the counselor in close cooperation with cell's co-ordinator.

To ensure that the cell's are functioning in accordance with goals and objectives of career education are fully materialized. This would be carried out by conducting field study, research based activities amongst the students and teachers with a expert panel asking for suggestion to further improve the cell's program and activities.

Following information is presently available in the Cell:

• Aptitude Testing /Vocational Preparation
• Occupational Information
• Educational and Financial Aid Information
• Job avenues & Placement Information
• Apprenticeship Information
• Information to Study Abroad
• Reference Materials
• Program Information

The present specific services extended by the Cell may be summarized as follows:

Service to students

• Students can drop letter/e-mail concerning their problems
• Students can schedule a discussion about their career
• Exploration and study of career options is possible
• Career Inventories (Need Assessment, Cumulative Record, Aptitude Testing etc.,) are administered
• Special need of students can be discussed (career planning, decision making, college selection)
• Training opportunities after post high school education are identified
• Scholarship Information are available
• Information on studying abroad are available
• Job placement services may be provided within Tibetan community
• Experts services are available
• Consultation with students regarding career planning are conducted
• Preparation for various competitive exams in Indian aspect are discussed

Services to Teachers and Community:

• Teacher counselor's/Teachers may refer students with special needs
• In-service and continuing education information are available
• Career consultation service is available to suggest effective techniques
• Community meetings and discussion on role of parents

MAJOR PROBLEMS DUE TO LACK OF COUNSELING:

Lack of Self-Understanding:

Career decision cannot be made in a vague, it needs a sound understanding of oneself viz., interest, abilities, strength, weaknesses, values, personality, health etc., It is clearly known that many of our Tibetan students makes career without understanding oneself properly thereby in later stage of life they land up in a job where they have neither knowledge and competency or just enter in some other field.

Lack of Information:

Counseling children at the threshold of life on how best they can plan or shape their future, what career opportunities and avenues of employment are open to them, and what factors they should keep in mind in making career choice wisely is providing the right information. Students need reliable information at various stages of schooling and while they are at college too, moreover growth and advancement in business and industry had created new jobs and career. Hence students needs accurate/relevant information in their career selection process.

Tibetan Community:

Unemployment is a new issue before us and also a recent trend in our society. A large part of the problem is that due to inadequate knowledge and unrealistic professional aspirations. For a smooth running of society and its development, there need for proper distribution of human resources. Many of our students follow others and try to go in the same line where the no. of jobs are limited as well as competitive and on the other hand society needs a large no. of trained graduates in different field. They are badly in need of effective guidance to select appropriate courses of study.

Human Resource Planning:

Our aim is to liberate and return in a free and independent Tibet. For that we need to build up a strong human resources to run the govt. smoothly and effectively. Therefore we need to counsel students from the right stage where we can develop our own resources to work in various govt departments. If all the Tibetans become doctor or nurse, then who will run the school or business etc., Hence at this stage we have to work out a strategy to send students to do the right courses according to one needs and interest as well as the man power requirement in our society.

Need for a Career Counseling Cell:

In today's fiercely competitive environment, most individual find themselves on the horns of dilemma when it comes to choosing a career because they do not know exactly what careers are available around them with modernization and lack basic information.

Deciding about one's future is not quite easy. The tasks become even more complex when you have so much information, so many people whose opinion one cannot ignore, stiff competition to encounter in job market and so many pressures to cope with. Everyone needs to straighten out thoughts concerning the future? What I am really going to do? Can I really get there? How? Am I sure of the routes? What are the risks? If I don't make it do I have any other options? Where? When? Are my subjects appropriate? Most students come face to face with such questions at some time or another?

Hence the early guidance and counseling to our students was felt very important in order to make career decision in a rational manner to eliminate any chances for regret and keep oneself prepared to face the uncertain future and serve in independent Tibet.

Man Power Requirement:

Since this is the only cell in the Tibetan community and looking to its huge role, the cell must have the following staff persons:

1. One Trained Professional : A Full time Counselor

The development, formulation of plan, designing and publication of appropriate career literatures; management of the cell and implementation of the various career education programs offered by the cell are the primary responsibility of the counselor.
2. One Para-Professional : A Career Co-ordinator

The career co-ordinator is responsible for the day-to-day smooth running of the cell. Duties include to keep all materials easily accessible to visitors also collecting information from other sources. He will be responding to all questions from students in right time. In the absence of the counselor, the co-ordinator will take responsibility in the smooth functioning of the cell.
3. One Secretary :

The responsibility of the cell secretary is to give clerical support to the counselor and the co-ordinator. He/She will have to handle all mails and enter in the right place as well as support during workshop/seminars. All the handy literature work will also be the responsibility of the secretary.

Accountability :

The Career Guidance & Counseling Cell shall functions as a separate, independent cell under the rules laid down by Department of Education, Central Tibetan Administration and shall be accountable to the Kalon and Secretary or to any committee or individuals appointed by the concern.

At present we have established a counseling cell in the Department and it is now at infant stage building up all the resources. We still had long way to go to achieve the goal of the cell. Hence following activities will be initiated to reach our services in all the schools and to make counseling an part of school education.

Activities to be initiated:

The main task of Career Resource Cellis to guide and help Tibetan students as he/she progresses through school to make a more meaningful life. The infusion and right motivation will lead them to select a work, which directly contributes to the society. Hence it is vital that everyone needs to straighten thoughts concerning the future What am I really going to do? Can I really get there? How? Am I sure of the routes? What are the risks? If I don't make it do I have any other options? Where? When? Are my subjects appropriate? Most students come face to face with such questions at sometime or another. They are badly in need of reliable information and dependable guidance. How big and exciting is the New World of opportunities is what we are trying to make through this cell.

1. Career Information :

The key to wise career decision-making is information. The world of work is also changing very fast. To keep pace with such changing pace, it is important that students too keep informed about these developments in their career decision making process, moreover non-availability of appropriate literature and articles also be made access to our students, so that the resources can be well utilised within our community. The cell plans to bring out such related materials on regular basis and will be made available to all DOE and CTSA schools.
2. Career Out Reach programs :

Though for the complete establishment of the cell is bound to take sometime, however children cannot wait to plan for their future. Hence, looking to the immediate need for guidance service, the cell intended to organise field action programs.

The counselor shall visit all the Tibetan High school once in a year to conduct career awareness talk, group discussion, exhibition and skit plays. The focus during these visits will be above Xth std, subsequently follow up program will be initiated every year.

3. Individual Counseling :

Everyone is unique from each other and the need and aspirations are different from individuals. The counselor would be interested to spare time to discuss on career planning and decision making, course selection, college admission, job avenues and other personnel problems. The counselor won't be visiting each school for individual discussion programs.
4. Orientation for Career Counselors/Teachers :

Since one of our long-term goals is to make counseling a part of school educational in all the Tibetans High schools, the need for para-professionals that can continue the service in respective schools is imperative. Therefore the Cell propose to hold orientation course, workshop and consultation meeting for the co-ordinators to update their knowledge. Topics such as decision-making attitudes, sources of occupational information, behavioral aspects, client observation etc., be covered during such meetings.
5. Counseling Cell's in Zonal area :

Since our target group are scattered in different parts of the country as well as schools are located in different regions, the centralization of the cell would not be of much help. Hence one of our long-term plan propose is to establish a cell in North East, North and South zone respectively. These cell's will be headed by a working counselor and shall initiate field action programs to their respective schools. It also shall assist the graduating students in seeking college admission and placement services in the Tibetan government. The cell will run on the basis of plan formulated and policy of DOE and also with the local situation.
6. Counseling Cell and Parent's :

The family is the basic unit of society and children grow and develop largely in the atmosphere in a family, moreover they spend majority of time with their parents and family members. A conducive family produces a healthy child and the motivation of parents too determine child's personality and health. Since our parents have no access to modern education and with the development of newer career opportunities, they are ignorant or have little knowledge on various educational and employment opportunities available to a young Tibetan child. Thus, inspite of their best intentions, parents are seldom able to give proper guidance and assistance to their children in the field of career development.

However despite above situation, the family greatly influences the selection of career choice. Hence it is felt necessary to organise parent meetings, general presentation and talks on students career development for the benefit of the community.

7. Counseling Cell and the Planning Council/Public Service Commission:

Many times a student raise question to the counselor is, "Is there sound demand of economic graduates or computer professional at present" what is the employment scopes. This has been a turning point and too much to concern about after years of nurturing and upbringing and hardly spending years in a occupation, if the scopes lie merely a empty?

Looking to the Indian situation, many of the counseling centre have been closely associated with the Government department (such as Employment exchange bureau ets.,) However, coming to our exile government and the absence of such bureau a published projection, the best that a counselor can do is seek valuable guidance from the planning council and the Department of Personal. Both these offices are associated with staff recruitment and HRD planning.

However if societal need have to be fulfilled and to fill the gap of vacancies in various department or the other had surplus of unskilled youth wanting job, could have been reduced. A sound network system should be build among the schools and various Governmental Department's particularly the above two.

PROJECT PHASING PLAN :

The Project is to be implemented as outlined under :

The Project Preparation Phase :

The Project Preparation phase will involve the following activities covering a period of one year. (April'98 to March'99)

• Planning for Career Counseling Cell
• Collection and review of Need Assessment information
• Collection and review of vocational information
• Presentation and approval of the project proposal to DOE
• Detail planning of the Project Implementation phase
• Conduct pilot visit to all schools to assess the needs and problem of student

The Project Implementation Phase : One
(April' 99 to Dec' 2001)

• Shift into the Career Counseling Cell (temporary/permanent)
• Recruitment of staff members
• Collection and review of educational information
• Collection and review of occupational information
• Conduct Career Talks for cls. X and above in all CST schools
• Start publication of career literatures
• Put up career bulletin boards and displays
• Organise consultation meetings with co-ordinators
• Release the first issue DUN-LAM newsletter
• To release manual for co-ordinators roles in zonal area

The Project Implementation Phase : Two
(Jan '2001 to Dec' 2003)

• Conduct follow up visit by counsellor to schools
• Organise orientation workshop for co-ordinators
• Invite experts groups for consultation meetings
• Invite experts in Career Guidance field
• Develop Self-Assessment tools
• To start functioning of counselling cell in zonal wise
• To develop a permanent Network system with all the cell's

PROJECT OUT PUT:

A sound operating of Career Guidance and Counselling Cell at the Department of Education, where students, teachers and beneficiaries can access to up-to-date career information.

A Career education program that serves the need of all children under DOE & CTSA in particular and other autonomous and private schools if deemed necessary.

Student are able to make informed and wise decision regarding selection of subject combination, college or training centre and individual career plan's.

PROGRAM EVALUATION:

Periodic and systematic evaluation will be conducted by the counsellor in close co-operation with cell's co-ordinator.

To ensure that the cell's are functioning in accordance with goals and objectives of career education are fully materialized. This would be carried out by conducting field study, Research base activities amongst the students and teachers with a expert panel asking for suggestion to further improve the cell's program and activities.

Our future plans:

• To appoint a working counselor in each school so as to keep regular touch with students in order to have better interaction and problem solving
• To organize workshops, seminars and consultation meetings for the working counselors periodically to exchange their field experiences in order to develop better strategies in future
• To conduct community counseling programs for parents and guardians regarding their role in helping their child to make rational decision
• To bring out career literature articles to disseminate accurate and updated information on various career options and avenues
• To upgrade the existing information cell to a full-fledged Resource center
• To conduct field study and research based activities in career guidance and counseling
• To establish counseling cell's in all the four region in the country to make counseling program more meaningful and result oriented
• To keep good rapport with college and Universities and explore possibilities of finding opportunity for Tibetan students

For any questions

please write at education@tcewf.org OR education@gov.tibet.net