Employment Counselling Services
Choosing a career is one of the most important choices you will make in your life. You will spend an amazing 86 400 hours of your life in your job, so it makes good sense that you receive professional assistance, whenever you have to decide on a study or career path or change careers.
The Department of Labour provides a free of charge employment counselling service. If you are unemployed or underemployed (in a job that does not suit you), sign up for careers guidance and receive advice that will assist you to plan a bright future for yourself!
Many people make a career choice based on limited information about careers, because they admired somebody else in a similar career, or because they were not informed about employment counselling services that are available. They may also choose a course because their parents told them to do it, or because their friend chose the same course, or for another wrong reason, such as that they will earn much money in the field. They then find the course they are studying uninteresting and drop out, wasting a lot of training money and time in which they could have earned money for themselves. They start out on another course, also uninformed of what the career entails and find they experience the same problem again. Many people end up in careers they do not like and then become unproductive and unhappy employees.
What is employment counselling?
Employment Counselling is the process where you are assisted to understand your skills and abilities and career interests to make a career choice, in which you will deliver good work and will follow your passion. The employment counselling process uses Careers Information on the nature of different occupations, career paths, learning opportunities, labour market trends and conditions, educational programmes and opportunities, educational and training institutions, government and non-government programmes and services, and job opportunities, to help you make a career decision.
As part of employment counseling, you can also be assisted to access jobs and education and training opportunities through job-hunting programmes, including of CV-writing and how to handle the job interview.
Employment Counselling also assists you to learn Employability Skills necessary to prepare you for the world of work, such as Work Ethics, Dealing with your emotions in the Work-place, good Interpersonal Relationships, etc.
What benefits can I derive from Employment Counselling?
It has been shown that employment counselling has the following benefits:
· Career choice is a personal issue, because you will have to live with your choice. Best career results are obtained if people work in a career field, which suits their interests and abilities, thus providing them with a career identity.
· Employment Counselling will help you set personal goals and decide on your future.
· Employment Counselling can assist you to find purpose in your life, because you choose a career field that is tied in with how you are as a person.
· Knowing your purpose in life can assist you to have improved self-confidence and motivation for both your studies and work.
· Employment Counselling can assist you to know yourself better, to make a career choice in which you will experience job satisfaction.
· You will learn to know the labour market and consider all options suitable to you, for example you will also receive information on entrepreneurship.
· You can learn about career options you have not known before and therefore choose a career more suitable to you.
· Employment Counselling can assist you with general knowledge on how to navigate the labour market, such as not to resign from a job before you find another one.
· Employment Counselling can assist you to become upwardly mobile in your career, since it can show you which study courses to follow, to improve your skills.
· Employment Counselling can assist you to adjust to changes in your career, such as when you have to make a first career choice, when you need to change careers, when you are retrenched and even during retirement.
· The Department has record of many skills development opportunities such as short skills development programmes, learnerships, apprenticeships and internships and also of job opportunities that already exist in the labour market.
· You can be referred for entrepreneurship programmes, such as in a small business and co-operative.
· Employment Counselling provides people such as ex-offenders and people with disabilities with assistance to adjust to the work situation.
How will the Employment Counselling process unfold?
The Employment Counselling service at the Department of Labour involves the following:
· Registration as work-seeker on the computerized Employment Services system of South Africa (ESSA), that will make job-matching easier;
· Identifying employment counselling needs;
· Exploring your interest fields in the world of work (this might be done through a career interest questionnaire, which is not a test to be passed or failed);
· Linking your strongest interest fields in the world of work with careers that you can consider (providing careers information);
· Providing information on career opportunities and assisting you to choose a suitable career in line with your abilities;
· Providing information on education and training opportunities;
· Providing information on scarce skills that are in demand in the labour market;
· Assisting you to improve your employability through a set of life skills; programmes such as job-hunting, work ethics, retrenchment advice, etc;
· Providing information on issues such as where to find more assistance.
Who will assist me?
The Department of Labour has qualified Career Counsellors that can assist you with the process described above.
How can I access the Employment Counselling service?
You can find a Career Counsellor in Labour Centres in the major cities and towns. You can go to the nearest Labour Centre and register as work-seeker. Ask the staff member to refer you for employment counselling. Make sure to indicate your needs in terms of career advice very specifically. You can also send any careers-related question via Internet to www.labour.gov.za, stating your address, Province and telephone number and we can assist you via e-mail! There is also a variety of helpful careers information documents that you can access on the website of the Department of Labour at www.labour.gov.za.
You can also contact the Call Centre at 086 0022 198.
A closing note
Many of our people in South Africa never had the opportunity of having employment counselling. Be one of those who make a difference to your own and the country’s future. Learn as much you can of the labour market and opportunities before you make a choice. You can do this through getting assistance from a Career Counsellor!
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