Innovating and contextualising career counselling for young people during the Covid-19 pandemic. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maree, Jacobus Gideon
• Other Names: Cooper Saths guest-editor.; Kramers-Olen Anne L guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: South African journal of psychology =. Volume 51:Number 2(2021)
• Page Start: 244
• Page End: 255
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: Adaptability -- Covid-19 pandemic -- e-career counselling -- employability -- innovating and contextualising career counselling -- young people; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0081246321999507
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0081-2463

Abstract

This article reports on how the changing career counselling needs of young people during the Covid-19 pandemic can be met. It is argued that innovative and contextualised career counselling that is in line with the basic principles of 'best practice' and draws on a life design–based framework offers a viable conceptual framework for this kind of endeavour. Such counselling can promote young people's adaptability; enhance their employability; and bolster their narratability, narrativity and autobiographicity. A brief theoretical overview explains innovation and contextualisation in career counselling and clarifies key aspects of counselling for self- and career construction. The style of e-career counselling advocated here can help young people make meaning of their career-lives and (re-)kindle their sense of hope and purpose. Moreover, it can help them devise practicable strategies to actuate their sense of purpose and hope and also help them experience a sense of being part of something much bigger than themselves. In addition, it can promote young people's entrepreneurship and self-entrepreneurship and bolster their employability. Longitudinal research, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies on the topic, is needed to examine the value of the e-career counselling approach. Such research could involve different assessment instruments and counselling strategies and include questionnaires to facilitate pre- and post-assessment of the effectiveness of the approach.