Children are being made aware of career choices and being given guidance at ages as young as four of five now. In Dubai, toddlers at Blossom Nurseries have been given career advice, says the Dubai Informer. Previously, The Telegraph UK had reported that The National Association of Head Teachers is initiating Primary Futures program for career guidance.
The initiatives have come as part of a movement to broaden the horizons of children in primary school and even younger.
In the report by The Telegraph, children as young as five years old will be given guidance about career selection. They will be introduced to a wide selection from a network of volunteers who are professionals in their field, like demolition experts, archaeologists and zoologists to show them how industries work.
The initiative is called Primary Futures, and it will help children make a connection of the real world and how industries work with what they have studied in class, according to Russell Hobby, NAHT general secretary. "It is not about specific careers advice, or fixing on one path for the future at age 11. It is about widening horizons on what can be achieved," he said, adding that Children also benefit from understanding the practical requirements of the working world so they can be motivated to improve their literacy and numeracy."
Dubai is also getting in on the concept. Toddlers at Blossom Nurseries were asked by staff what they wanted to be when they grew up. They were asked to add their dreams on to a "wishing tree" in each of the five city nurseries. Then, businesses were invited to partake in the project by hosting days out.
There were some common ambitions, with children wanting to be astronauts or racing drivers, but there were also the unusual ones - like becoming a food critic or working with penguins.
According to nursery director Chantal Ariens, the idea is to encourage children to think about their futures
Children were treated to an idea of what it is like to be a food critic, with a tasting session courtesy of a parent who works for the Jumeirah Group. Children with space ambitions were also taken to the recently-opened Dome Box theatre in Al Wasl to experience a complete 360-degree film about astronauts. It explained the training needed to go into space, and the effects of zero gravity on the human body. After the short film, children were asked questions and they also did physical exercises like those astronauts do to stay fit in space.
