A Proposal on Initiating Career Development Services for Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Students
Introduction
For learning is a continuous lifetime process, individuals always want to gain knowledge of something innovative that will make them better, rational and worthy persons. To complement with the dynamic changes of the society and provide the high-end demands of daily life, every individual who thirst for knowledge of information needs superior studies in order to sustain such changes and demands. Career management and development was innovatively introduced to serve as the blueprint for success. As applied to an organisational level, it is the key to achieve goals of ensuring the skills and competencies of people for future employment and management of new work and life realities (1995). In this case, the target of the career development program is the students.
Background of the Study
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has its origin in three colleges – New Asia College (founded in 1949), Chung Chi College (founded in 1951) and United College (founded in 1956). In 1963, the three colleges were amalgamated to form The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a fourth College – Shaw College, was added in 1986. At present, there are seven faculties: The Faculties of Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Science and Social Science. Fifty-three full-time undergraduate programs and two part-time degree programs leading to bachelor’s degrees are offered by the sixty-one departments within the seven faculties ().
The school already has a centralized source of general information and standard set of policies when it comes to student curriculum and related activities. It has guidance and counselling services that addresses the problems and concerns of students. Moreover, the school involves a general pattern in teaching (e.g. fixed curriculum) and includes a diverse set of learners but only implements similar principles in the development of student’s personality, learning, and career. With these considerations and observations, there is a need to create specific career development programs and services to every field of learning and expertise in CUHK ().
Hence, this paper proposes the concept of career development as applied to CUHK to facilitate students’ constant improvement and intensification through the following considerations:
· more specialized training and orientation
· “theoretical teaching but practical application” policy
· easy access to guidance and counselling services
Proposal
More Specialized Training and Orientation. The need for more specialized training and orientation is necessary. Driven by the competition in the professional arena, students of CUHK must be trained in the most acceptable and feasible ways. The training that is being rendered by the school must not be limited to micro setting; instead it covers a large scope of application. Bearing in mind, training must be relevant and should establish proficiency in the needed abilities for the future occupation of the student. Overall, the training and orientation of CUHK students must be extensive yet effective in order to be aggressive in the professional arena.
“Theoretical Teaching but Practical Application” Policy. This policy is common among social and human sciences. The concepts and theories that are learned must be applied instead of just being mere concepts and theories. The application of concepts and theories learned is reinforced by actual exercises that will test the extent of learning and knowledge absorption. For instance, career development graduates can apply their knowledge, skills and abilities in roles such as career counsellor, workshop facilitator, job developer, and human resources consultant. In CUHK, graduates must be properly employed not under- or totally unemployed.
Easy Access to Guidance and Counselling Services. The guidance and counselling services of every educational institution is fundamental to the growth and environment on the learner. CUHK is performing well in terms of guidance and counselling. As a matter of fact, Student Support Services of the school provides information and support to parents, students, staff and families through a range of Guidance and Counselling services. Guidance Officers operate within the school context and where necessary network with community agencies and education personnel to deliver professional and personal support. There is no problem in the CUHK guidance and counselling, however ease of access to such services must be maintained.
Time Framework
Proposal
Duration
Tasks
Personnel
1. More Specialized Training and Orientation
All year round upon approval of the university faculty and administration.
Enhancements in the aspects of: career planning, work search, communication, teambuilding, customer service, public speaking, study skills, leadership, recruitment and selection, as well as, self esteem.
CUHK Faculty particularly the instructors handling OJT classes.
2. “Theoretical Teaching but Practical Application” Policy
All year round upon approval of the university faculty and administration.
Improvements in R&D activities across different fields along with intense practical applications of theories learned in class.
CUHK Faculty
3. Easy Access to Guidance and Counselling Services
All year round upon approval of the university faculty and administration.
Maintenance of the availability and access of students to counselling officers.
CUHK University Counsellors Office
Service Section Arrangements
For more specialized training and orientation program, workshops/courses facilitated in CUHK must include, career planning, work search, communication, teambuilding, customer service, public speaking, study skills, workplace safety, leadership, recruitment and selection, self esteem and parenting. Costs will be incurred by the CUHK administration in terms of the different seminars, symposia as well as other career development trainings that will be offered to the students.
Realizing the objectives of practical application of theoretical abstracts learned in class, CUHK must promote more efforts in research and development (R&D) activities as well as on-field or on-the-job experiences. The immersion of the student in the field wherein he/she is plans to work after graduation is truly helpful. Programs offered in CUHK must target the areas where students and other graduates work with employment agencies, job re-entry programs, government departments, colleges and universities. Positions from these fields must be guaranteed full-time, although there are increasing numbers of contract opportunities. Costs will not be incurred since the program will be applied to the curriculum.
There is no problem in the CUHK guidance and counselling, however ease of access to such services must be maintained. Evidently, no costs will be incurred.
Benefits
The issues of career mobility and employment relationship cannot be adequately addressed without systematic incorporation of organisations. Given the longstanding theoretical and practical interests in markets and economic development (1989;1995;1992), important questions related to the impact of career development on organisational practices (i.e. hiring, promotion, and compensation) have yet to receive their share of attention. However, career development effects on every organizational environment are undeniably useful.
Aside from the aforementioned benefits and implications of the career development program for CUHK, generally, one persuasive reason on why organizations offer career development is that the process serves as a means to develop the best employees for the job to sustain corporate competitive advantage. Developing the best person to occupy a position in a company means higher chances of efficiency. Retaining company’s best work assets is sustaining the growing competitive edge of the organisation. Hence, by doing such career development programs, productivity and progression is ensured.
Another reason why organizations engage in career management is productivity. The quality of the workforce predefines the possible outputs of the organisation. A weak workforce means poor labour while a strong workforce is more. Productivity is the measurement of organizational growth. By utilizing career management systems, the productivity of the organisation is achievable. (1994) stated that productivity may come from a dedicated and well-motivated workforce. Through motivation, it can be assumed as the reason or the force behind why a person does well in work. Sometimes, it is also a means to make the person perform better and more efficient.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment