Career Guidance and Counseling Program for Informal Education in Indonesia

Informal education is conducted to provide education access for wider community. Due to various factors, not all members of society have formal education opportunities. One of the factors is financial problem (Novita & Neni, 2013), as the result, it causes them difficult to pay the education fee. This condition forces them to work hard over time to earn money so that they are not able to join formal education at school. Based on the situation, therefore, informal education becomes their alternatives. As lower-class community group, the problems faced by students at informal school are diverse than students at formal schools. Gary et. al (2013) revealed that poverty is a factor that can affect the cognitive, physical and socio-emotional development of individuals. These developments are influenced by parenting style. Students who come from poor families may live in noisy, shabby and polluted environment and, as the result, they tend to be more stressful (Evans, 2004). That is why, poverty potentially makes the students’ development is hung up. Another problem the students face is related to career or work. They have no idea and planning about their career in the future. As it is known, career is determined by racial, ethnic, gander factors and socioeconomic classes (Blustein et al., 2002; Gushue & Whitson, 2006; Liu, Ali, et al., 2004; Nelson, Englar-Carlson, Tierney, & Hau, 2006; Valadez, 1998). Diemer & Ali (2009) states that it is almost impossible to separate social class from career and work. In fact, the word career has connotation with social class with respect to the movement toward a new (and possibly better) social class position in society (Perry & Wallace, 2013). Therefore, there are several studies on social classes that have shown how significant social class impacts on the development of children and adolescents. Children living in poverty is lack of the environment exposure that stimulates their cognitive. They are limited exposure of printed media, appropriate toys, and digital education materials (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002; Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997; Evans 2004). So, it is common that students from lower social class community tend to have low level of career expectation. Perry & Wallace (2013) states that social class correlates positively with: (1) educational attainment, (2) centralization of work in men and women, (3) having good job in terms of financial, (4) enjoying activities during retirement. Blustein (2006) suggests that career counseling should be linked with social class and classism along with other forms of ‘isms’ (eg, racism and sexism). Several studies have shown interesting findings related to how career, vocational, and profession may be seen as the indicator of success and those with higher social class background may see employment and vocational as a means of gaining expression and personal satisfaction (Blustein et al., in Liu 2011) Social class problems also affect the challenge of informal education students at senior high school in determining and taking decisions to choose a job. Based on a survey conducted to 50 informal students, 60% had encountered difficulty in making choice for their profession and only 40% who had chosen an appropriate job for themselves. From the perspective of career development, the difficulty in making career decisions is related to the willingness to work that refers to the ability to freely making choices, including the choice of first job when entering the work environment and every subsequent career decision. Blustein (2006, 2008) defines the willingness to work as a perceived capacity to make decision about career or profession rather than forcing to have certain job. People with high willingness to work will likely see an expanse of job opportunities. Conversely, people with low willingness to work will likely feel they have limited choice of work, and possibly having a job that contrast with their personal preferences. Abstract. The aim of the present study is to develop career guidance and counseling programs for informal education. This program is provided to students who pursue their education at informal setting in senior high school. The present study employed Research and Development (RnD) method. The product of this RnD research is Career Guidance and Counseling Program for informal education at senior high school level. This program is different with formal education because it has different characteristics. This program is development program (outreach program) which aims at developing and improving the willingness of the work. This career guidance program is complemented by various methods and media that are aligned by classical guidance activities in order to run well. Based on the expert assessment, the components involved in this program are considered as good category. This indicates that the career counseling program has material which is appropriate with the objectives of learning. The program also has appropriate method and learning media to support the teaching and learning activities in order to achieve the established goals. In addition, well-structured assessment is also implemented so that the conformity between the objectives, methods, materials and media can effectively support the availability of this career counseling program.