Empowering Rural Youth Through Career Guidance!

CRECCOM, under the Let Girls Learn II project funded by Echidna Giving, is conducting school-based career guidance sessions in collaboration with TEVET community colleges. This initiative follows insights from project implementation in Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs), where it was observed that many students—especially girls—have limited access to information on available livelihood pathways after completing Form 4.

Most CDSSs do not have up-to-date information on entry requirements for tertiary education, such as universities, colleges, and technical schools. As a result, students are left to seek out this information on their own—an even greater challenge in rural areas where information channels are weak or poorly structured. This lack of access puts rural students, particularly girls, at a disadvantage when planning their futures.

To address this gap, CRECCOM is facilitating career guidance sessions aimed at helping students make informed decisions. The sessions provide detailed information on tertiary institutions, the programs they offer, entry requirements, as well as scholarship and bursary opportunities. TEVET colleges are also using the platform to introduce students to various vocational and technical courses, explaining how these skills can help them achieve economic independence.

As part of the approach, young role models from public universities and TEVET colleges—many of them locally identified—are sharing their own stories to inspire and motivate students. The activity targets 36 CDSSs across Chitipa, Thyolo, Mulanje, and Ntchisi, and is expected to reach over 10,000 adolescent youth with career guidance that empowers them to plan and pursue meaningful futures.

See pictures from the activities: