Students have to decide their career well in advance and prepare for all related entrance exams with full efforts said the Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant while addressing a students gathering after inaugurating Career Navigator programme to educate students about their educational career organized by the Goa State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in collaboration with UNOCUE at Kala Academy at Campal, today.
The Chief Minister exhorted the students to select the right career options and seek guidance from Goa SCERT and others and urged teachers to educate students on the various career options and opportunities available to them.
This student sensitization programme initially aimed at targeting Grade 12 students, will be rolled out in all 11 talukas of Goa over the coming weeks and will extend to Grade 10 students in its second phase. The goal is to ensure no student is left behind in accessing meaningful career guidance, the Chief Minister informed.
The Director GSCERT, Smt Meghana Shetgaonkar in her address said in this rapidly evolving era, with a staggering number of career options now available, students often feel overwhelmed and confused on the decision to take the right direction. Many are unaware of the possibilities that lie beyond the conventional routes and this is where structured, technology-driven career guidance plays a transformative role, she said.
Smt Shetgaonkar further speaking maintained that through this partnership with UNOCUE, they aim to bridge the critical awareness gap that exists between available career paths and students’ knowledge of them. This program will help students identify their unique interests and aptitudes, while also exposing them to the diverse and emerging fields of the 21st century fields like Artificial Intelligence, Sports Analytics, Environmental Studies, Media and Communication, and more, available not only in the State, but also beyond Goa.
Regarding the signing of Memorandum of Understanding with UNOCUE, Smt Shetgaonkar said it is not just a formal document but it is a promise to our students that their dreams, their questions, and their uncertainties about the future will now be addressed with clarity, compassion, and scientific precision.
Smt. Shetgaonkar said GSCERT will also have a career club where the nodal teacher and student representative will be a member and will be used as a platform for sharing information about career options and scholarships available. For students, she said, this is the opportunity for them to ask questions, be curious and most importantly, take charge of their own journey. Your future depends on how you march ahead, she reiterated.
Smt. Shetgaonkar further informed that career navigator is one such platform where higher education, technical education, skill development have collaborated to give best to students. She appealed to the principals, teachers, and parents and said their role in this journey is equally critical. “As we support students in discovering their potential, your encouragement and understanding will be the backbone of their confidence,” she added.
Shri Dhaval Gandhi of UNOCUE Pro Edutech LLP, delivered the keynote address. Director of Education, Shri Shailesh Zingade, Director, Directorate of Technical of Education, Shri Vivek Kamat, Director of Higher Education, Shri Bhushan Sawaikar, State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, Shri Shambhu Ghadi, Director Administration GSCERT, Smt. Sarita Gadgil, President of Higher Secondary Principals Forum, Shri Umesh Naik, President of Higher Secondary Teachers Association of Goa, Shri Babaji Sawant were among those who were present at the function