19 December 2023, Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government, in collaboration with iDreamCareer (iDC), has launched a career guidance initiative for students in government schools. This project serves as an extension to the existing Pankh Portal, which offers career awareness to students in government and government-aided schools.
While the Pankh Portal utilizes technology to reach all students, this new initiative, launched on October 9th, focuses on providing in-person counseling to students in five districts. A dedicated team of 31 counselors has been deployed in the districts of Varanasi, Meerut, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Ghaziabad, aiming to support students on their career journeys.
The project aims to help 14,700 students of classes 10th and 12th located in 5 districts of UP. This project is organized to spread educational awareness among students while helping them find their dream colleges with scholarships and learn about multiple career options available in the industry. The project is supported by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.
An analysis of Education for All in India states that Uttar Pradesh has a high dropout rate, especially for female students. Hence, the intervention is focusing on increasing the yearly Eligible Enrollment Rate (EER) by 5-10 % through this project. The project will ensure the maximum number of college admissions with scholarships by providing the students with in-person counseling sessions, career details, exam patterns, and a helpline number to support last-mile help till they get admission in a college or vocational program.
According to Shri Vishnu Kant Pandey, the Additional State Project Director, this initiative by the UP government will help students achieve a clear vision for their future. In India, Some of the major reasons for school dropouts are a lack of awareness about admission procedures, career options, and education funding. This project will target these issues and support the maximum number of students to get professional career counseling, admission to the best colleges, and the benefits of scholarships. Recently, the UP Government has increased the government school enrollment rate in the state. Now the government is aiming to increase the number of college enrollments in the state through this project in partnership with iDreamCareer.
Through personalized 1:1 counseling, educational awareness, and access to scholarships, this initiative aspires to increase enrollment rates as well as pave the way for a brighter and more promising future for the students of Uttar Pradesh. This collective effort will promote an educational environment that will nurture the upcoming leaders of tomorrow.
