How Abu Dhabi schools are enhancing career, university guidance programmes
Schools in Abu Dhabi are increasing career and university orientation sessions to inform the students on all possible options to make educated decisions about their future.
It was a programme introduced by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and was intended to help students make better career and university decisions. It is now a mandatory programme and it is meant to offer a holistic solution to prepare the student for life after school.
One of the main features of the new mandate is that annual reviews are being carried out to check the performance of these programmes. They help schools retool strategies on actual, quantifiable data.
Talking to headteachers in Abu Dhabi, a few shared that specialised instruction starts in Year 9 when kids begin choosing subjects.
"Our full-time University and Careers Guidance Counsellor is the central figure here. Students and parents are able to meet with one-on-one support at any point of time. Transitional times like the transition from Year 11 to Year 12 are also key points where we have in-depth conversations with students and parents to look at options and plan for the future," said Rachel Batty, careers and university guidance counsellor at British International School Abu Dhabi.
Workshops on essential skills
These advice programmes don’t just provide disciplinary recommendations but have workshops on how to write personal statements, CVs and even interview prep.
"We help students prepare for the competitive application processes like UCAS and Common App, help to meet deadlines, edit essays and sit standardized exams like the SAT and IELTS. There’s also information about scholarships and financial aid to make it affordable to get into college," said Michael Bloy, Al Raha Gardens principal.
"Alumni help with the programme by presenting their experiences in university applications, on campus, and in their workplaces to create a wealth of information for current students," he continued.
As well as individualised support programmes, schools also organize specialized sessions to mentor students through the application for different countries.
Thomas Nelson, deputy headteacher for Physical and Health Education at GEMS Cambridge International School in Abu Dhabi, said sites such as Unifrog and forums that are organised according to regional pathways let students research universities, monitor their applications and apply for scholarships.
"We conduct targeted workshops around applications for regional routes: UCAS in the UK, Common App in the US, regional routes in UAE and elsewhere. "As far as non-university students go, we give specific career guidance and training to equip them for job placement or work-based learning," he said.
Tours of universities, technical school advice
Schools also run comprehensive on-campus, university visits and mini-fairs that gives students direct contact with admissions offices and a chance to see different pathways.
Robert Rinaldo, head of school at GEMS American Academy – Abu Dhabi, said: "We’ve already had visitors from 40 universities this year alone from the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia, and MENA. They are the places where students can discuss concerns, get to know programmes and discover which institutions are right for them".
Since they realise that university isn’t for everyone, colleges offer technical and vocational education too.
"We’re here for students who would like to do gap years: organised personal development courses, internships or volunteering. We even help students that are going for business ventures, online certifications or micro-credentials such as Coursera or edX," said Rinaldo.
School administer annual evaluations of these guidance programmes to make sure that they are still a success.
"Those assessments include student and parent surveys, self-reports and outcome measurement of our students’ post-secondary studies. These evaluations help to inform the development of our curriculum adaptation and introducing new support services in response to changing student needs,’ Kuki Tyagi, Principal/CEO, The Cambridge High School – Abu Dhabi said.
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