Guiding Our Students Towards a Brighter Future

Recognizing the challenge of youth unemployment in Nepal, where many graduates struggle to find suitable jobs despite their qualifications, the Rukmini Foundation, in partnership with the Rotary Club, took a proactive step. They organized a “My Career Plan” competition for students, aiming to tackle this issue from the roots.

To prepare for this, the foundation first conducted a Career Orientation Program for teachers at the Shikharapur ALRC Building. The session hosted 16 participants, including 10 teachers from our partner schools.

This initiative was needed because we often saw students studying without a clear purpose, simply following a path set by their parents. This lack of early career guidance often leads to poor subject choices and, ultimately, contributes to the skills mismatch seen in the job market. Our goal was to change this cycle. We wanted to equip teachers to guide students in making informed career choices based on their own interests and strengths, ensuring their education leads to meaningful employment, rather than having them just “go with the flow” into an uncertain future.

What We Discussed

Our resource person, Ms. Pabitra Ghimire, supported by Ms. Smriti and Ms. Shova from Rotary Club, led a very practical session.

We talked about how to help a student understand their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, if a student wants to be a singer but does not have a strong voice, we should not just say, “You can’t.” Instead, we should talk with them, help them see their other strengths, and guide them towards improvement or other related options.

The main points were clear:

• Help students discover what they are truly interested in.

• Show them the different career paths available.

• Teach them how to plan step-by-step to reach their goal.

• Make them think about how their future career can help their family and community.

More Than Just a Competition

Ms. Ghimire explained that even if a student does not end up in the same career they present, the process itself is very valuable. They will learn how to research, how to ask experts for guidance, and how to speak confidently in public. These are life skills.

We also shared the rules and a simple format for the “My Career Plan” competition. The format helps students structure their thoughts—from “Who am I?” to “How will I contribute to my country?”—but they are free to be creative.

Teachers Asking Good Questions

The teachers were very active. They asked practical questions: Should the slogan be only about career? How do we select the best students? How can we create good questions for the students?

Ms. Ghimire had good answers. She suggested using the career assessment questionnaire on the Ministry of Education’s website. For selection, she recommended giving the assignment to all students in the class. This way, everyone benefits from thinking about their future, and teachers can then see who has prepared the best.

One teacher, Mr. Prem from Arunodaya School, shared that he had attended a longer career training before, but found this session simpler and more direct for our needs.

Moving Forward with Hope

In the end, this orientation was successful. Our teachers are now better equipped to guide their students. They have the tools to help them explore, plan, and dream. We believe that when a student plans their future with purpose, they study with more meaning. This program is a small step to help our children build a life they can be proud of, for themselves and for Nepal.