International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme: Perfect Blend Of Professional And Academic Education
Students heading the competitive, twenty-first-century corporate world face an increasingly complex set of employer expectations. Traditional academic paths, however, are leaving them unprepared to meet these challenges.
The world is rapidly embracing digital, which creates both opportunity and uncertainty. Graduates from schools and universities must be able to adapt to a changing world. They must also understand how to apply what they've learned in the classroom to real-world, work-related challenges.
Instructors are becoming aware of this disparity. With the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) in January 2016, students can look forward to a more comprehensive educational experience that aims to develop well-rounded, career-ready students.
The International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme is a two-year programme for teen students specifically of age 16 to 19. The academic rigor of the core IB model is combined with career-related study and real-world experience in the IBCP. The programme is divided into three sections: IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses, CP core courses, and a career-related study.
Students must complete at least two courses from the IB's traditional Diploma Programme (DP). The idea is to give the CP a theoretical foundation, providing a solid grounding in the IB's core academic subjects such as sciences, mathematics, and the arts, among others.
The CP core emphasizes experiential learning to develop students' personal and professional skills as a complement to and context for their DP courses. Furthermore, it aims to provide students with the necessary interpersonal and problem-solving skills that are desirable in the workplace, as well as to ensure their adaptability to an ever-changing world.
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN THE IBCP?
Personal and professional skills: This focuses on preparing students for the workplace by developing their attitudes and interpersonal skills.
Service learning is a research-based module in which students apply their knowledge to a community need.
Reflective project: An in-depth piece of work designed to assist students in analyzing and reflecting on their career-based learning. This is based on identifying and analyzing an ethical issue that has arisen during the course.
Language development: Students must develop their communication skills in a second language for this module. This is consistent with the IB's international standing.
Another component is a vocational career-related study in collaboration with an outside study provider. Schools, for example, may provide study options such as Marketing, Business, Hospitality, or Art and Design. As a result, students are free to investigate industries in which they may already be interested. They have the opportunity to gain hands-on, in-depth experience in the workplace.
