Proch’Orientation: Online career platform

Abstract

Proch'Orientation, a digital platform developed by the Hauts-de-France Region, serves as a valuable resource for students and their families to explore diverse career options and training opportunities. This initiative aligns with the collaborative efforts between the Region and academic authorities aiming to empower students to make informed decisions about their careers.

The platform provides information on career and training opportunities. It streamlines the process for schools to engage with a diverse array of ambassadors, including volunteer professionals, company employees supported by skills sponsorship, training specialists, apprentices, and alumni. These ambassadors willingly share their individual career paths, offering insights into the training they have experienced or provide, and offering perspectives on their fields during classroom career talks.

Proch'Orientation offers a career discovery agreement designed for students seeking work placements during school holidays. This encourages students to contemplate their future career paths and also enhances their understanding of the professional landscape.

Resource overview

Website: Proch’Orientation

The main objective of Proch’Orientation is to empower students to make informed and thoughtful decisions regarding their career paths and provide robust support to ensure their successful journey. In addition, the platform strives to ensure that young people acquire a comprehensive understanding of the region's economic opportunities. This initiative aligns with the collaborative efforts between the Region and academic authorities as stipulated in the Law of 5 September 2018 on the freedom to choose one's professional future, it aims to empower students to make informed decisions about their careers.

Teachers, particularly those from lower- and upper-secondary schools, invite Proch’Orientation ambassadors to classroom sessions or various school events, such as open days, career days or career and training information forums. These ambassadors offer students valuable insights into their own career trajectories, professional expertise, and daily work experiences, addressing queries and concerns from the student body.

In the pursuit of enhancing career development and success, teachers initiate projects aligned with professional sectors selected by students through Proch'Orientation calls. They also leverage a plethora of online resources on careers and training, utilizing them as indispensable tools to guide and inspire their students.

To this end, Proch’Orientation offers a suite of online resources:

• The website contains advice for students at pivotal educational junctures, comprehensive information on nearly 800 professions and YouTube interviews with professionals offering insights into their career paths, as well as webinars (accessible via a YouTube playlist).

• An online matchmaking platform which connects teachers with Proch'Orientation ambassadors, who generously share their perspectives on career paths, roles, sectors of activity, and daily work lives. Teachers can also access resources that make it easier to plan and run events with pupils.

• Webinars organised by Proch'Orientation, featuring the participation of career and training ambassadors, to enlighten young people about various professional sectors.

• An internship platform enabling students and apprentices to explore careers through internship opportunities during school holidays.

Description of technology

Various web tools offered on its website, as well as video interviews hosted on YouTube.

How the resource makes career guidance more effective, efficient and/or equitable for students

Proch'Orientation improves career guidance for students through a comprehensive approach that empowers them to make well-informed decisions about their future. Beyond presenting a diverse array of career and training opportunities, the program actively fosters awareness of key projects in the Hauts-de-France region (e.g. Canal Seine Nord Europe, 3rd industrial revolution rev3, etc.). This holistic strategy is amplified through direct engagement with Proch'Orientation ambassadors—local professionals who provide invaluable insights and advice.

Furthermore, Proch'Orientation facilitates work experience agreements during school holidays, enriching students' practical understanding of their chosen career sectors. These work placements, made possible by Proch'Orientation's collaboration, offer invaluable hands-on experience, allowing pupils to refine their career choices. This practical exposure complements the discovery courses provided by their lower- and upper-secondary schools, enabling students to collaboratively navigate their career paths, explore specialization options, and even consider apprenticeship routes with their teachers. By integrating these elements, Proch'Orientation enhances the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of career guidance, equipping students with the tools they need to construct their future careers.

Challenges or potential barriers to use

While Proch'Orientation provides easily accessible online services, there are still opportunities for enhancement. Despite its user-friendly interface, certain students and teachers might require assistance or guidance to navigate the site efficiently and leverage all its features. It's crucial to emphasize that Proch'Orientation actively addresses these needs by empowering teachers to play a supportive role in aiding students in accessing and utilizing the platform effectively. Furthermore, a notable advantage is that Proch'Orientation is offered free of charge, eliminating any financial barriers that could have hindered its utilization.

Support for users

Online user guides

Additional details

 

Has the resource been…	Yes or No?	Description	Link
…informed by research?	No
…funded by government?	Yes	Resource recognised as part of the partnership between the Region and the Education Authorities
…recognized by peers?	No
…evaluated?	No

This resource is government supported.

Disclaimer: This content is provided by the submitting organisation.