A Team of Guidance Counselors from UNSRI Trains Junior High School Guidance Counselors in Palembang to Create Student Career Card Resources

The Community Service (PkM) Team from the Guidance and Counseling (BK) Study Program at Sriwijaya University held a training session on creating Career Cards as a self-development tool to improve students’ career planning for guidance and counseling teachers at SMPN 52 Palembang. This activity aimed to help BK teachers develop the skills to create resources that support the delivery of counseling services for students at the school.

The activity involved four faculty members from the BK program: Ms. Ratna Sari Dewi, M.Pd., as team leader, accompanied by Ms. Risma Anita Puriani, M.Pd., Ms. Yola Eka Putri, M.Pd., Kons., and Mr. Rizki Novirson, M.Pd. Students from the Guidance and Counseling program also participated, actively serving as field facilitators: Egavino Meiditariyan, Rifki Meidiansyah, Isabelle Clara, Tabhita Zahra, Bunga Aulia, Ririn Ayu Anjarwani, Zakia Rahmadania, and Hana Pratiwi.

The event began with a report from Ms. Ratna Sari Dewi, M.Pd., as team leader, followed by opening remarks from Mr. M. Andika Ardiansyah, S.Pd., Gr., representing the Palembang Junior High School Guidance and Counseling Association (MGBK), and Ms. Mardalena, S.Pd., principal of SMPN 52 Palembang, which served as the training venue.

In her report, the head of the community service team expressed her hope that this activity would serve as one of UNSRI’s contributions—as a higher education institution—to assist guidance counselors in developing career card materials as part of an effort to maximize counseling services for students, particularly in the area of career development.

A total of 25 junior high school guidance counselors from Palembang participated in this activity with enthusiasm and full attention. The lecture session was delivered by Yola Eka Putri, who emphasized the importance of guidance counselors understanding student career planning based on Super’s career theory and Holland’s career theory. She also discussed how to maximize the use of these materials as tools to support the delivery of counseling services to students for optimal results.

Following the lecture, the activity continued with a workshop on creating career resources, led by Ms. Ratna Sari Dewi, M.Pd., and four student facilitators. The guidance counselors were trained to research various professions and their characteristics as the primary foundation for designing student career cards. Afterward, the guidance counselors were assisted in designing engaging career cards, followed by a simulation of how to use them in counseling sessions.

After the training, participants shared their impressions and experiences. Mr. M. Andhika Ardiansyah, one of the participants, expressed that he felt his understanding of career theory had been reinforced and that he had gained the skills to create career resources for students. The community service team hopes this training will serve as a valuable resource that guidance counselors can use to maximize their counseling services for students.