Programme 3:  Work Awareness and You (WAY): 

WAY is a career guidance programme that focuses on School to Work Transition. 

Students from lower economic groups, present special career guidance needs.  The foremost amongst these, is their short term view of their future and their tendency to enter the world of work soon after high school, as unskilled labourers.  This places them on a trajectory toward chronic unemployment and under-employment, in their adult lives.  WAY at the first level, attempts to influence attitudes and career beliefs.  At the second level, WAY is a career guidance system developed in the vernacular, for the Indian ethos by The Promise Foundation.  This system comprises standardised aptitude tests and interest analysers and provides the young person with careers information and skills that would help him / her make accurate career choices.  The final objective of the WAY programme is to place the young person on a trajectory toward gainful employment.

At the end of high school the young person is faced with important questions linked to career development and planning for the future. Children from more privileged homes begin to move towards career preparation spontaneously. Career development for the less privileged is not as smooth or automatic. Financial pressures require the economically disadvantaged adolescent to begin earning as quickly as possible. This situation creates certain unique career planning needs. Young people from disadvantaged homes typically demonstrate a short term view of the future that could cause them to enter the world of work soon after high school, as unskilled labourers. This may yield an immediate earning. However, in the long term, the unskilled young person is on a trajectory toward chronic unemployment and under-employment. We have observed that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds view career preparation itself with scepticism. Negative career beliefs predispose the disadvantaged student to place a low value on developing work skills, appearing for and passing examinations, completing high school and persisting toward career goals.

The Work Awareness and You (WAY) intervention

WAY, The Promise Foundation's career education programme is designed to meet the career development needs of the disadvantaged adolescent. WAY rests on the premise that every individual has talents and potentials that could become his or her career and source of livelihood. The intervention combines traditional methods of career counseling such as aptitude testing and career information, with interventions that address the young person's attitudes and mindsets. WAY attempts to provide the young person with career development skills that could place him/her on a trajectory toward gainful employment.

THE WAY WORKSHOP

WAY focuses on school to work transition and is based on extensive research. The programme is theoretically grounded in some of the most current conceptions of the human potential (e.g. Theory of Multiple Intelligences) and established theories of career psychology (e.g. Social Cognitive Career Theory). WAY is conducted as a standardised, group workshop directly in schools that cater to children from lower income groups. Given below is a brief overview of the WAY programme.