Why is professional development for extracurricular activities crucial for students' career orientation?
In the modern educational system, where the focus is mostly placed on theoretical knowledge and academic performance, extracurricular activities often remain in the background. However, their importance grows year by year. Through these activities, students have the opportunity to develop skills that prepare them for future professional challenges, acquire additional knowledge and skills, and even discover career opportunities they might never have considered. Professional development for teachers leading extracurricular activities is therefore crucial to ensuring success in these programs.
The Importance of Career Orientation
One of the greatest challenges high school students face is making a decision about their future career.
A recent conversation we had with the principal of the Agricultural School in Zagreb, Ivica Marinić, led to an important conclusion. His suggestion was that careers in the agro-food sector should not only be discussed occasionally but throughout the entire school year. This idea prompted us to think about how the presence of real-life examples can help students better understand the wide range of careers available to them.
Careers of the Future Professional Development
That’s why we created the FoodEducators professional development program, *Careers and the Future*, to help schools better connect students with the job market through practical tools and activities. Our professional development enables teachers, professors, and educational counselors to gain knowledge on how to lead extracurricular activities that provide students with real insight into the agro-food sector. Students participate in practical workshops, create projects, and connect with industry professionals, building a bridge between theoretical education and the real world of work.
In this way, the Careers and the Future professional development program enables educators to provide students with invaluable experiences—exploring real career opportunities, working on practical tasks, and having direct contact with industry professionals. Through conversations and video posts on social media, students have the opportunity to see what their future career could look like and receive guidance that will help them make important decisions about further education and their career path.
This type of program, where students present careers to other students through channels they regularly use, provides a clearer insight into post-graduation opportunities and helps them develop skills that will prepare them to enter the job market with more confidence and competence. The *Careers and the Future* program is an excellent example of how education can be geared toward the real world of work, allowing students to be better prepared for the challenges ahead.
Learning New Skills and Preparing for Future Challenges
One of the greatest benefits of extracurricular activities is the opportunity to acquire practical skills that are not always part of the standard curriculum. Professional development enables teachers, professors, and educational counselors to adopt new teaching methods that include creative and technical skills, such as video production, digital marketing, communication, or market analysis, and pass on practical tools to students.
Extracurricular activities offer students the opportunity to explore various interests and career options outside the standard educational framework. Many students may not yet be aware of all the possibilities available to them, especially in specific sectors such as agro-food.
The Careers and the Future program serves as an example of how career guidance can be made a continuous process throughout the entire year.
Professional development for teachers leading extracurricular activities is essential for adapting the education system to the modern needs of the job market. Connecting students with industry, guiding their professional interests, and acquiring new skills are just some of the ways students are being prepared for the future.
Join the Careers and the Future professional development program and provide both your students and yourself with the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills that will open doors to the future!
The professional development program is intended for teachers and professors who teach 8th-grade elementary school students and high school students.
Learn more about the program here: https://smion.com/hr/foodeducators/karijere-buducnosti-strucno-usavrsavanje/
