By Karen Abrams, MBA, AA, Doctoral Candidate
Director of STEMGuyana
Guyana is a tiny nation overflowing with opportunities yet grappling with developmental challenges, and therefore the choice of career paths for our youth is of paramount importance. Guyana’s oil economy has opened new avenues, but the demand for qualified professionals extends far beyond this sector, encompassing mining, agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and more. As we encourage more students to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers, it is important to understand the major factors influencing their career choices.
The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), developed by Robert Lent, Steven Brown, and Gail Hackett, offers a comprehensive framework to understand how career interests develop, how educational and vocational choices are made, and how career success is achieved. SCCT extends Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory into the realm of career development, highlighting several key components and processes.
The first element in the framework is self-efficacy. Self-efficacy, or self-confidence, is the belief in one’s ability to perform tasks or achieve goals. For Guyanese students, this means feeling confident in their ability to succeed in STEM-related tasks. Enhancing self-efficacy (confidence) involves providing opportunities for students to engage in hands-on STEM activities, where they can experience success and build confidence in their abilities. This is why programs like STEMGuyana’s and other practical technical opportunities are critical to the development of a pipeline of scholars who will contribute to the creation of a highly skilled cadre of professionals the nation needs to optimally develop.
Another important element in the framework is outcome expectations. Outcome expectations are the personal beliefs about the outcomes of certain behaviors. For example, a student might believe that pursuing a career in computer science will lead to a well-paying job and a fulfilling career. In Guyana, where industries such as oil and gas, agriculture, and healthcare are expanding, it is essential to communicate the potential rewards of STEM careers clearly. Highlighting successful role models and the tangible benefits of STEM careers can shape positive outcome expectations.
Goals drive behavior over time towards particular career paths. These goals are influenced by self-efficacy and outcome expectations. In the Guyanese context, setting realistic and achievable goals for students is crucial. Encouraging students to set short-term and long-term goals in STEM fields can help them stay focused and motivated.
The framework also includes the element called environmental factors. Environmental factors include support systems, barriers, and opportunities that affect career choices and experiences. In Guyana, this might involve addressing the lack of resources in schools, providing mentorship programs, and creating partnerships with industries to offer internships and training. Overcoming barriers such as limited access to quality education and addressing gender stereotypes in STEM can make a significant difference.
Interests develop when individuals enjoy and feel confident about engaging in particular activities and when they expect positive outcomes. To foster interest in STEM among Guyanese students, it is essential to provide engaging and enjoyable STEM activities, from coding clubs to science fairs and multiple opportunities for youths to build community. When students find joy and purpose in these activities, their interest in STEM careers naturally grows.
Choice actions are the actions taken towards pursuing a chosen career path, influenced by interests, goals, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations. For Guyanese students, this means actively choosing STEM courses, participating in extracurricular STEM activities, and seeking out internships and mentorship opportunities in their fields of interest.
The elements performance and persistence examine how well individuals perform and persist in their chosen career paths. In Guyana, supporting students through their educational journeys, providing continuous feedback, and celebrating their achievements can reinforce their self-efficacy and outcome expectations, encouraging them to persist in their STEM careers. These are the principles which underpin all STEMGuyana programs.
Perhaps one of the more important elements that will determine whether a Guyanese student will persist in a STEM career, in addition to availability of jobs, is the element of equal access to well-paid jobs. Both foreign companies and the local private sector must improve wages significantly for qualified professionals in the STEM career fields. I am confident that demand for high quality employees will drive up wages for qualified professionals in the medium to long term.
Guyana’s development hinges on the capabilities of its people. With a focused effort to nurture and guide our students towards STEM careers, we can ensure that they are well-equipped to meet the demands of a growing and evolving economy. As we look to the future, it is important that we, as employers, educators, parents, and community leaders, work together to create an environment that supports and encourages our youth to pursue STEM careers. Understanding the factors that influence career choices will help us to implement strategies that help our students see the value and potential in these fields.