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| GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES |
Career Guidance and
Personal Counselling
The MCAST Team of Counsellors and Career
Advisers works together to run and offer the
optimum service both to prospective students and
their parents and to MCAST students following
courses in the nine different Institutes and at the
Gozo Centre.
Vocational Guidance
Recently we have witnessed a huge increase
in educational opportunities in all sectors and
at different levels. We are also witnessing a
shift from traditional jobs in the manufacturing
sector to entrepreneurial opportunities in the
services industry. These changes in the job
market underline the need for an informed choice
regarding career paths.
In a college like MCAST, where students are
trained for the career of their choice, vocational
guidance is of utmost importance. If students have
taken an informed decision and are sure of their
choice, they need support and encouragement
to go on along the chosen path. If students are
not very sure or have found difficulties along
the training course, they need to be aware of
alternative paths. MCAST Career Advisers assist
students through this process of development by
giving them individual appointments to help them
explore alternative career paths and decide on the
right one in order to reach their goals.
Moreover students who are not fulfilled by their
choice of study programme at MCAST or at any
other post secondary / tertiary institution, need to
clarify their aspirations. MCAST Career Advisers
explore with them alternative study programmes
available at MCAST or elsewhere. Adults who
are considering to further their studies or are
searching for alternative careers may also make
use of MCAST career guidance services. Tel: 2398
7135/6 Email: careerguidance@mcast.edu.mt
Personal Counselling
Counselling can be used as a vehicle for students to
get more out of life. Personal counselling at MCAST
is more growth oriented and focuses on the future,
on the goals that provide direction in life and on the
ability of the students to create their own destiny.
Students are encouraged to seek help and make
use of the counselling service. In some challenges
encountered in life, support, encouragement and
understanding can help the students cope better with
their emotions. Counselling is effective to the degree
that students, through Student-Counsellor interaction,
are in a better position to manage their challenging
situations and / or develop the unused resources and
opportunities of their lives more effectively.
The process includes:-
- Identifying, exploring and clarifying their
challenging situations and unused opportunities.
- Helping students develop goals, objectives or
agendas based on an action-oriented understanding
of the problem situation - establish priorities.
- Helping students develop action strategies for
accomplishing goals, opportunities that will make
a difference.
- Helping students act on what they have learnt
both within and outside the counselling session.
MCAST Counsellors believe that their students
have the energy and it is up to all adults involved
to remove constraints and let them maximize their
potential for their personal satisfaction and to bring
positive benefits for society.
Group Activities
Counsellors see both to the individual needs of
students as well as to the group / class needs. In all
classes and workshops especially, it is important
that students help each other and work as a team.
This teamwork leads to optimum individual and
class results. The MCAST teamwork experience
prepares students to adapt and collaborate with
their colleagues when, in future, they will implement
their aspirations in their chosen careers.
Enrichment Groups
Life experiences can be many and vary from
ones that occur directly to us, to those that are
experienced by our friends or family and still affect
us. Enrichment groups help students work through
such encounters in a way that they can become
richer and more empowered persons.
These groups are offered throughout the year and
involve up to ten students working with a group
facilitator (counsellor) in weekly sessions of just one
hour each. The characteristics of group work enable
a type of interaction that is not possible in one-toone
work. Thus, the experience can also be a highly
respected manner of addressing emotional distress.
The topics dealt with depend on students’ requests.
Some topic examples are: Sexual Abuse, Learning
Difficulties/Dyslexia, Relationship Breakdowns, ADHD.
Helping Skills – Student-2-Student
MCAST encourages its students to develop their
full potential by supporting them in acquiring
the skills which will fit them to make a valuable
contribution to society and to be active, thoughtful
learners in their life. This certified course is
organized annually, and is delivered by the College
Counsellors. It consists of 30 hours of training
and is open to all full-time students at MCAST.
Participating students have the opportunity to
increase their communication skills, creativity,
reflectiveness and ethical responsibility amongst
others. They generally obtain an increase in
confidence when they find themselves talking to
friends who confide in them.
Following this training, College Counsellors
Following this training, College Counsellors
organize and coordinate a Student-2-Student
network. This consists of a voluntary network
wherein students who would have completed
the training course in Helping Skills can apply to
become a volunteer in this network. It involves
a variety of interpersonal helping behaviours
assumed by students who undertake a helping
role with others. This network is regularly
supervised by the College Counsellors. Email:
student2student@mcast.edu.mt
Counsellors offer their services all through the
year to encourage students persevere in their
coursework until they finally reach their goals.
For an appointment with the Counsellors please call
on 23987133/4 or email counsellors@mcast.edu.mt.
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