Education and Vocation Counselling Training | EVCT

In Ethiopia, students enter university after a preparatory year, which is meant to bridge the gap between high school and higher education. However, this programme lacks personalized guidance, leaving students without a clear understanding of their strengths, interests, and career prospects. Many are arbitrarily assigned to study programs by the Ministry of Education, leading to mismatched career paths and high unemployment rates— 60 to 70% of graduates remain jobless one year after graduation. Employers report that students often lack the skills and attitudes required for the workforce, hampering economic development.

The Education and Vocation Counselling Training (EVCT) Project addresses this issue by enhancing academic and vocational counselling at Ethiopian Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). Coordinated by the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) in Austria, in partnership with Kotebe University of Education (KUE) and the Technical and Vocational Training Institute (TVET) in Ethiopia, the project focuses on:

• Developing a certified curriculum to train counsellors at 15 UAS, ensuring students receive personalized career guidance.
• Creating an online vocational counselling toolbox.
• Launching a pilot programme at three UAS to test and refine the training curriculum and counselling methodologies.
• Organizing a national forum to facilitate ongoing professional development, stakeholder interaction, and dissemination of best practices among education counsellors.
• Development and publication of job profiles for common occupations among UAS graduates, helping to align educational programmes with labor market needs.

By integrating structured counselling services into universities, EVCT contributes to quality education (SDG 4), poverty reduction (SDG 1), and economic growth (SDG 8). By equipping universities with the necessary tools and expertise, the EVCT project ensures Ethiopian graduates are better prepared for the job market, fostering sustainable development and reducing unemployment.