CAREER EDUCATION IMPLEMENTATION IN GYMNASIUM FROM THE STUDENTS’ POINT OF VIEW

Career planning becomes one of the most important processes in a young man’s life, during which a decision is made, influencing his further life. Further work, satisfaction with life, life style, leisure time, social status depends on the career one chooses to pursue. In this process, professional orientation taking place at school, consultation, information, have an important role to play. School must form conditions for all learning students to get career education, professional information and consultation services. Research aim was to analyse the opinion of final gymnasium class students about career education realisation, the obtained services in the gymnasium. The research object was career education in Lithuanian general education schools (gymnasiums). In the research, a survey strategy was applied, a survey research method in written form (a survey questionnaire). The research was carried out between the months September to December 2018. A total of 200 gymnasium 4th grade students from five biggest municipalities of Marijampolė region participated in the research. Questionnaire data analysis was carried out, the research data grouping, generalisation, comparison, a quantitative and qualitative descriptive statistics analysis was conducted. By this research, students’ opinion about the use of various events planning the career was ascertained. Students perform various tests, consultations, informational events take place. However, a big part of the respondents think that this information is not sufficient for them, they feel a lack of information and support. Students’ expressed expectations are not completely satisfied. Students lack knowledge about study programmes, profession specificity. The biggest part of the students understand the importance of professional career planning for their life quality, however, they lack information on that question. Students have expectations and questions, to which they do not receive answers. Keywords: career education, career choice, career competencies, gymnasium students.