PANAJI
The State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has entered into a deal with Mumbai-based UNOCUE to conduct face-to-face counselling for high school (Class IX, X, XI and XII) students to make career choices.
Under the MoU, the 'Goa Career Navigator' programme will be implemented in all the 12 talukas and will provide the students will career counselling.
The MoU also has on board a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner in Nobel Association and will also offer students psychometric testing and other interventions related to career counselling.
The MoU was signed by SCERT Director Meghna Shetgaonkar and UNOCUE's Dhaval Gandhi at the State Secretariat's Ministerial Block. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho were present.
Shetgaonkar said, although career guidance is already a part of the education system with the Directorate of Higher Education implementing various initiatives with the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP), there were gaps noticed which prompted them to go in for the collaboration with UNOCUE.
Sawant, who also holds the education portfolio said the deal with UNOCUE will hopefully ensure personalised guidance on careers, especially for students from Goa's rural areas.
Sawant said he is confident it will be immensely beneficial to both students and parents in Goa.
He said it was disheartening to note that Goan students are not applying for admissions to premier institutes in the State like the AYUSH college in Pernem which is a Government of India institution and the India International University of Legal Education and Research (IIULER) among others.
"These institutes have 50% seats reserved for Goan students. It hurts to see these seats go unclaimed," Sawant said.
