FAMILY CAREER COMPASSEfficient Career Guidance Approaches Supporting Parents in Guiding their Children’s Vocational Career

Turkish experience in guidance supporting parents in career counseling to their children

November 22November 22, 201, 20133

Orhan GÖKÇÖL Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey

http://www.famico.eu

Some figures from Turkey# of schools # of students # of teachers

PRESCHOOL 27.197 1.077.933 62.933

PRIMARY (4 years) 29.169 5.593.910 282.043

LOWER SECONDARY (4 years)

16.987 5.566.986 269.759

UPPER SECONDARY(4 years)

4.214 2.725.972 119.393

VOCATIONAL 6.204 2.269.651 135.502

NON-FORMAL 13.732 8.071.508 111.224

Ref: 2012-2013 National Education Statistics –Formal Education

Non-formal education includes training courses delivered in public and private institutions

# of students: OVER 25 MILLION# of teachers: OVER 1 MILLION

Some figures

Number of counselors in schools : 22.000 NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER COUNSELOR IS

AROUND 1100 (!!!)In sub-urban areas this number is much more

An estimated 10% of the counselors are eligible for giving career counseling

WE CLEARLY HAVE ISSUES IN TERMS OF DELIVERING EFFICIENT CAREER COUNSELING TO

STUDENTS – SO THEIR FAMILIES

WE CLEARLY HAVE ISSUES IN TERMS OF DELIVERING EFFICIENT CAREER COUNSELING TO

STUDENTS – SO THEIR FAMILIES

Resources for children in developing career steps

Social neighborhood of the children is very dominantFamily (we’re large families with father, mother,

several uncles, aunts etc. very close relatives)FriendsNeighbors SchoolCareer counselors

Role of Parents in career development Career development for kids in Turkey, like all around the world, can be

considered as a social construction. One of the ways in which children form this concept is through social

relationships. Parents' influence on career development stems from the continuous process of relationship with their children.

In terms of career counseling, parenting style in Turkey is very much authoritative which means that fami,lies want THE BEST OF THE BEST for their children!!!! Authoritative parents with good participation from the family members try to make

the best for their children by seeking tools and services around. Uninvolved, but authoritative parents with no prior knowledge, experience and

interest about career development of their children do also want the same thing but mostly they shift the need to a latter time and wait for problems to be solved somehow. Insufficient career management support from schools put them to an ambigious state where they are open to get influenced from anything they can find such as a neighbor, some fancy programs they see in TV –that is anything popular and possibly not fitting with their children’s personalities.

As a result; It’s clear that parents need good resources in

terms of career guidance Number one problem is raising awareness on

parents’ sideEmotionally supporting their childrenEncourage individual developmentDevelop learning strategies that promote career

readiness

Supporting parents in career counseling to their children School resources (counselors)

Career days : Some of the schools invite professional from different careers and university staff to give information about different careers –these activities are open to students and their families

Company visits Career Inventories One-to-One counseling Conferences & Seminars Publications

Municipalities arrange seminars and workshops for families NGO –Supporting projects for career management Test prep centers – centers that give training to students for entering

higher level of education give career counseling support

Supporting parents in career counseling to their children

School resources Career days : Some of the schools invite professionals from

different careers and university staff to give information about different occupations –these activities are open to students and their families. These activities are mostly carried out at upper secondary level (lycee), generally during March-April-May, each year.

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career Career Inventories applied at some schools contain curriculum

material and activities for families

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career One-to-One counseling

Through school counselors Not on regular basis. Parents must demand it.

Through private counseling/career coaching Not common. Expensive, and not reachable by every parent. Mostly focuses on selecting right university and

finding better education institutions in EU and USA universities

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career

Conferences and Seminars Short events (1-2 days), Focuses on not only career issues but (mostly) for also pedagocigal issues

related to school success, learning styles, how to become successful etc. Mostly organized by local authorities of education in counties Schools are also organizing conferences and seminars about career

planning and selecting right occupation –activities are open to public

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career

Publications Books & Magazines

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career

Publications Newspapers – Most daily newspapers have pages where

career related issues are discussed. Mostly in online format.

Supporting parents in career counseling to their children

Municipalities arrange seminars and workshops for students & families

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career NGOs : There are several NGOs providing career related

activities –not only focusing on parents

Supporting parents in guiding their children’s vocational career Test prep centers – centers that give training to students

for entering higher level of education also provides career counseling support not only to students but also to parents

Conclusion There are resources for parents in supporting their children’s career. But the

situation is problematic. Resources are not enough in numbers, and in quality : REMEMBER, We have an

enormous number of students Resources are not easily reachable by every parents –most of the parents «even»

don’t know there are resources Resources are not focusing on a life-long career management concept of children Resources are not focusing on improving career awareness on parents’ side

Mostly focusing on improving school successes of children Main concern of most lower & upper secondary school students’ parents is rather «short term» :

Choosing the right school for the next level

New approaches are clearly needed and welcomed which are more «reachable» and more focusing on «parents»

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

FAMICOFAMICOwww.famico.euwww.famico.eu

FAMICOFAMICOwww.famico.euwww.famico.eu

Questions

Dr. Orhan GÖKÇÖLDr. Orhan GÖKÇÖLorhan.gokcol@bahcesehir.edu.tr