My Path program

My Path is a research-based program that was developed as support for guidance counselors who help 7th–9th graders to make further education and career decisions. The primary objective of the program is to provide ninth-graders with strong trust in their own ability to make the right choice in the joint application procedure and solve any challenges and disappointments they might encounter on their education path. There are two working methods: lectures and workshops.

The program is based on a research project that was funded by the Strategic Research Council. The research analyzed the effects of the program on the personal skills of ninth-graders in 2016–2019.

Research findings

My Path Programme

  • Helps the students to make further education choices when moving on to upper secondary education.
  • Strengthens the sense of capability and ability to face challenges related to the education path.
  • Prevents a decrease in career choice preparedness when moving from comprehensive school to upper secondary school.
Opetustilanne koulussa
Goals

Program goals:

  • To help all young people, especially the most vulnerable, to make the right choices when applying to upper secondary education.
  • To strengthen the self-knowledge, motivation, preparedness for adversity, familiarity with different options, stress management, and goal-setting among young people.
  • To better prepare young people for working life, to improve their wellbeing, and to improve the pedagogical skills of guidance counselors.
  • To enable guidance counselors to update, complement and expand their skills and competences.
Why My Path?

In the capital region, 85 percent of the students graduating from the highest-ranking schools graduated from an upper secondary school or vocational school by the age of 20. In the capital region, only 58 percent of the students graduating from the lowest-ranking schools graduated from an upper secondary school or vocational school by the age of 20.