Parents and churches have been urged to play a leading role in helping their children in choosing careers.
Speaking at a career guidance expo organised by the Foundation International Ministries over the weekend, Cladius Nhokwara, a lecturer at Harare Polytechnic, said collective efforts by stakeholders especially parents and churches could help in bringing up better youths.
“Most parents are not aware that they have a big role to play in the education process and career choices for their children.
“In most cases they leave everything to their children to decide on career choices and this has not helped either.” He added: “Sometimes parents by their own experience play a major role.
“Parents can encourage children to choose a career or subjects that they have understood over their life and know the prospects in depth. “Parents, by their exposure and expertise, will be able to assert their wards for better career.”
He said since career guidance entailed the provision of services and activities intended to assist people especially youths in guiding, leading and directing them to choose occupations that would lead them to earn a better life, they needed positive encouragement at a tender age.
“If parents and churches take a nap when children are in dire need of these services, it would be tantamount to breeding a lost generation. This is usually seen in the production of failures in life that usually turn to nefarious activities like prostitution and drug dealing.”
The expo, running under the theme Overcoming Obstacles, Pushing for Progress, was attended by several youths and parents drawn from interdenominational churches from Mbare, Sunningdale, Waterfalls, Highfield and Glen Norah.
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Co-ordinator of the expo Reverend Jonathan Chatendeuka of Foundation International Ministries said they were motivated by the desire to bring up “better” youths.
“Jesus, the founder of the Church, used to meet people’s needs. Likewise as His followers, we are supposed to not only meet spiritual needs of the church, but to also meet the other critical needs of our members,” said Rev Chatendeuka.
“We believe in the old adage that goes: It is better to build children than repair men.”
Pastor Robert Westerfall of The River of Life Ministries concurred saying parents and churches had the greatest influences on a student’s career selection.
“It is important for parents as well as churches to give students support and encouragement to explore the many options available to find the best career fit for them. Usually the provision of such information and advice should start as early as possible so that pupils can pursue their dreams at a tender age and more so, if the process is started early, there is less likelihood of making unwise decisions.”
Children who are well catered for are highly motivated and have wider opportunities when it comes to career choices.
The duty of career guidance therefore shouldn’t be considered to be for teachers only. To them the sky is the limit!
A study released from the Barna Group last year reveals that, while teens may look to the church for career advice, there is a disconnect between where teens’ future professional interests lie and the encouragement and instruction they receive in their church or faith community.
Only 38% of youth pastors and 36% of senior pastors say they frequently discuss college plans with their students, and this counsel is more likely to happen when “there is a clear strategy for student ministry in the church, and in those churches that work effectively with teen leaders”, the study noted.
“Many young people do not seem to understand how a rich, historic understanding of the Christian faith and the gospel ought to inform their career aspirations,” Barna Group president David Kinnaman noted.
“And faith leaders should be intentional as they could be with instruction and coaching on these types of decisions.
“Understanding how teenagers hope to spend their professional lives can help faith communities and institutions better support these students as they discern God’s calling in their lives.”
