cbse-introduces-digital-tools-to-aid-student-career-planning

The Central Board of Secondary Education has introduced two flagship programmes for the academic session 2025-26, targeting the dual objectives of structured career planning and psychosocial support for students across affiliated schools.

 

The initiatives, a Career Guidance Dashboard and a Hub and Spoke Model for counselling, were formally unveiled in New Delhi on Thursday, with officials describing them as crucial to fostering a future-ready, mentally resilient student community.

 

Speaking at the launch, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh emphasised the evolving nature of the platforms. “Both initiatives are designed to benefit schools and students and will continue to evolve through active input from stakeholders,” he stated.

 

As part of the orientation-cum-interaction session, expert panels delivered an extensive demonstration of the Career Guidance Dashboard. The interface, designed for accessibility and adaptability, offers a suite of tools for students, teachers and school leaders, including interactive modules, curated career pathways and skill-matching features.

 

The CBSE’s Hub and Spoke Model, developed on the principles of decentralised support, seeks to enable school clusters to access trained counsellors and guidance professionals. This structural framework assigns responsibilities at the school level while incorporating mechanisms for continuous monitoring and feedback.

 

A focused discussion outlined the implementation roadmap, including the roles of school heads, integration with the existing school calendar, and modes of feedback collection for iterative improvement.

 

The CBSE has in recent years placed growing emphasis on life-skills education, student well-being, and career readiness. These latest initiatives further its agenda of preparing pupils not only for academic assessments but for informed decision-making beyond the classroom.

 

While the Dashboard is expected to serve as a centralised resource bank for personalised career exploration, the Counselling Model aims to fill the wide counselling gap in several parts of the country, especially in Tier-II and rural schools.

Also read: CBSE to conduct Class X exams twice annually from 2026

 

Both initiatives will be operational from the current academic cycle, with pilot feedback already informing future updates.

Benefits for schoolchildren:

1. Early exposure to career options

   • Students from Class 6 onwards will be introduced to a wide range of careers, helping them make informed choices early.

2. Structured career awareness

   • The six-stage roadmap ensures age-appropriate awareness and planning, progressively guiding students through exploration to decision-making.

3. Focus on self-awareness

   • Activities and assessments to help students understand their interests, aptitudes, and strengths, promoting better alignment with career choices.

4. Counselling support in schools

   • Schools will have access to trained career counsellors or career ambassadors, improving access to guidance within the school system.

5. Parental involvement encouraged

   • The model also encourages parental participation, fostering a supportive ecosystem at home for decision-making.

6. Equity in access to guidance

   • Helps reduce disparities between urban and rural or private and government schools by offering a standardised counselling structure.

7. Focus on mental well-being

   • Includes elements of social-emotional learning, addressing the psychological needs of students during critical academic transitions.

8. Support during transition years

   • Tailored guidance for Class 10 and 12 students during crucial exam and career decision phases.

9. Data-based planning

   • Provision for interest inventories and aptitude assessments empowers students with data-driven insights.

10. Empowers teachers as mentors

11. Training modules for teachers to act as career ambassadors, creating a network of support within schools.