Skool Grind Career Guidance Centres
Overview
Many students struggle with the leap from senior secondary school to adulthood—choosing courses, planning careers, finding funding, or getting first jobs. Sierra Leone’s Basic and Senior Secondary Education Act (2023) encourages schools to establish counselling departments (including cluster models) to support students’ academic, social and career decisions. Yet most schools haven’t set these up due to limited people, resources and structures.
Our Response
Skool Grind is launching Career Guidance Centres in four senior secondary schools in Freetown (West Urban) for the 2024–2025 academic year. Each centre will be staffed by trained Student Career Counsellors, equipped with a dedicated workspace, and supported with management and ongoing evaluation to ensure quality, inclusive guidance for every student.
What Students Get
- One-to-one counselling to map strengths, interests and career pathways
- Guidance on subject choices, university/TVET options, scholarships and admissions
- Job readiness support: CVs, interviews, internships and first-job search
- Conflict resolution and psychosocial support in line with the Act
- Proactive radical inclusion outreach so no student is overlooked
Why It Matters
- Reduces uncertainty and stress at a pivotal life stage
- Helps students make informed, confident decisions about study, training or work
- Connects schools, parents and communities with up-to-date labour-market info
- Creates a feedback loop to continually improve services across schools
Collaborating closely with schools, principals, teachers, and students, the initiative aims to establish a feedback loop to evaluate the impact of the counselling services. This ongoing evaluation process is pivotal for making informed adjustments and improvements, ensuring that the program evolves to meet the changing needs of the students effectively.
This strategic investment in human resources will ensure that students receive the necessary support to navigate academic and career decisions confidently, fostering a generation that is well-prepared for the future’s challenges.
Partners & Schools
We collaborate closely with school leaders, teachers and students to embed services and share learnings across a cluster of schools, as envisioned in the 2023 Education Act.