Career guidance in Libya : small steps forward, still a long way to go

Abstract

This chapter notes that career guidance in Libya has not yet developed as a separate and distinct service. Counselling is often associated with the management of young people’s behaviour, and throughout the different periods of educational development and reform in the country, the orientation and preparation of students for the world of work has mainly been carried out through the selection and distribution of individuals based on their examination results. Even when career guidance started being recognised as one of the services that should be made available to students, the field’s main attraction lie in its potential in orienting students towards the vocational training sector. Career advice is provided informally within the extended family, with some university faculties also attempting to organise career information services, though here too the approach remains directive, in relation to perceived ‘needs’ of the economy. Externally funded projects have been instrumental in introducing contemporary approaches to career guidance, though whether these initiatives take root and go to scale still needs to be seen.