The course must be inspiring and the course coordinator should also be inspiring with or without technology to get people together. Could it be that this is the missing link? I know working people who are pursuing studies through distance learning and seem to be quite comfortable despite not interacting at human level. The one's I know of interact through online discussion groups where they share information on anything useful. African Nazarene University seems to be managing her distance learning program successfully well through this approach.

Hi Andrea,
Thanks for your post. I have just seen Hiro's "Test it for a day!" and cannot agree more. The whole process is more useful when it starts at an early age when one is in school. I see the formation of career clubs with support from mentors as a good start where students identify with given career clubs, let's call it Social Work Club, learn about it through discussions and information sharing, participate in work place experiences and mentoring. It takes some kind of creativity on the side of the career guidance providers. The challenge is getting employers involved in accepting students in their work place as most employers are too busy and more concerned about their organization's goals which have little to do with mentoring students. The best possible way is to collaborate with professional associations which may most likely offer support.

Hi Julia,
I do agree with you that the main motivation for careers is a good salary and prestige as opposed to passion. When asked what they would like to pursue in future, the most frequent response from students who pass their primary education exams in my country is Neurosurgeon! I always wonder whether they understand what they are talking about. A look at the history of careers, I have noted that most discoveries and innovations are brought about by people who are driven by passion and curiosity and not the money. One example is the story of a lowly educated toilet cleaner with no idea of chemistry, who ended up inventing a chemical formulation for eliminating maggots, despite years of research and funds undertaken by university educated scientists. The story goes that the inventor was motivated by the desire to find a solution that would enable him keep toilets under his care hygienically clean and free from the menacing maggots he encountered every day. He was eventually conscripted as a major shareholder of a reputable chemical company, turning his life around completely. In Kenya most of the successful marathon runners hardly went beyond high school. People should be encouraged to follow their career dreams based on their passion and capabilities.