Career Guidance and Counseling in Shanghai, China: 1977 to 2015

Abstract

This article presents 4 stages in the development of career guidance and counseling in education settings in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, from 1977 (after the Cultural Revolution) to 2015, with an economic–political perspective. In the 1st stage (1977–1992), job allocation was implemented by the government as a mandatory regulation to meet the pressing demands for trained professionals in various industries. In the 2nd stage (1993–1999), job allocation was replaced by vocational guidance as a service. In the 3rd stage (2000–2011), there was a growth in career education, mainly in colleges. The 4th stage (2012–2015) witnessed the boom of career counseling with the focus transferring to secondary schools. This article ends with a discussion of the future model of career guidance and counseling in Shanghai.

Reciprocal Associations Between Career Self-Efficacy and Vocational Identity: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

“…This happens much earlier than it does for Shanghai students. The earlier timing of career choices may reduce confidence in the career decision-making of Hong Kong students because they have less time to perform information collection or planning than Shanghai students who make similar choices in 11th grade (Zhou et al, 2016). These results are in agreement with the previously reported evidence that an early occupational choice is often based on unrealistic self-assessment, which is associated with inadequate career decision-making skills and can thus change quickly (Brown, Glastetter-Fender, & Shelton, 2000; Vondracek & Skorikov, 1997)…”

“…The Shanghai adolescents exhibited an increase growth pattern from 10th grade to 11th grade but a decrease one from 11th grade to 12th grade. Because the Shanghai students were requested to make subject or occupational decisions and choose a specific subject area in 11th grade (Zhang, 1999; Zhou et al, 2016), the strong pressure to do so may have prompted them to increase their contemplation and awareness of occupational goals and interests, even VI, to some extent. The later decrease in the growth pattern may indicate students’ detachment from their previous vocational commitments and may reflect active reflection during VI formation.…”

“…This result may suggest that career education should be seriously improved among Shanghai students. Shanghai exemplifies Chinese modernization is attempting to construct a career education system at the senior high school level; however, substantially more work (e.g., developing a general syllabus for career education and professional training for career counselors) is required (Fan & Leong, 2016; Zhang, 1999; Zhou, Li, & Gao, 2016). Under the current education system, students from Shanghai in the present study are required to choose a specific subject area during 11th grade (Zhou et al, 2016), whereas Hong Kong students are required to make the corresponding decision in ninth grade (Education Bureau, 2014).…”

Introduction to the Special Issue: Career Development and Intervention in Chinese Contexts

“…With an economic-political perspective, the first article, by Zhou, Li, and Gao (2016), presents four stages of the development of career guidance and counseling in Shanghai, China, from 1977to 2015: job allocation (1977-1992), vocational guidance (1993-1999, career education mainly in colleges (2000-2011), and career counseling (2012-2015). With an economic-political perspective, the first article, by Zhou, Li, and Gao (2016), presents four stages of the development of career guidance and counseling in Shanghai, China, from 1977to 2015: job allocation (1977-1992), vocational guidance (1993-1999, career education mainly in colleges (2000-2011), and career counseling (2012-2015).…”

“…Seven invited articles in this special issue of CDQ address career intervention within seven Chinese societies from various perspectives. With an economic-political perspective, the first article, by Zhou, Li, and Gao (2016), presents four stages of the development of career guidance and counseling in Shanghai, China, from 1977to 2015: job allocation (1977-1992), vocational guidance (1993-1999, career education mainly in colleges (2000-2011), and career counseling (2012-2015). Zhou and colleagues reflect on an evolutionary progression of career intervention and the major features of career guidance and counseling in relation to the corresponding political and economic situations in Shanghai.…”