Career counselling in the sustainable development trend on the example of secondary schools in one of the Polish cities

The article presents the theoretical aspects of sustainable development and career counselling. It also describes the expectations of young people and teachers towards career counselling, understood as a new strategy of joint efforts to create a good and safe future for the residents in which they have the certainty of finding decent jobs. The changes taking place in the modern world make the ways the young people were supported thus far insufficient. Therefore, the author of this article undertook research aimed at determining what models of career counselling are preferred by young people and the teachers who work as career counsellors in schools, how students perceive the attractiveness of vocational schools, and how the teachers assess the adaptation of the vocational education system to the requirements of the local labour market. Author's own questionnaires were used. Diagnostic surveys were conducted among the participants of the project Vocational education in schools as a springboard to sustainable development of staff on the Legionowo’s labour market. The questionnaires were completed by 221 students and 13 teachers. Studies have shown that while 64% of students do not have a good opinion about the offer of vocational schools in Legionowo, 65% of those surveyed do not rule out working in the city. It was found that most of the surveyed teachers rate the adaptation of the vocational education system in the Legionowo's county to the a) requirements of the local labour market and b) the interest of students in career counselling as good. The study revealed two career counselling models preferred by the teachers: 1) a model of counselling carried out during hours available to the class teacher and during workshops with a career advisor and 2) a model in the framework of cooperation with the labour market. Both models coincide with youth-preferred forms of vocational counselling classes: 63% of students chose meetings with a career advisor, 40% of respondents mentioned visits to workplaces, Career offices, the Employment Bureau, 35% indicated participation in job fairs.