CONCEPT OF AN INNOVATIVE EARLY CAREER GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE FIELD OF PHARMACY

Abstract

Early career guidance for school students is an important prerequisite for developing the future workforce of the pharmaceutical sector and requires the implementation of innovative educational approaches that actively engage learners in the educational process. Existing career guidance practices are predominantly limited to providing information collaboration among schools, higher education institutions, employers, and the scientific community. The aim of this study was to substantiate the conceptual foundations of an innovative early career guidance system for school students in the field of pharmacy, to develop its conceptual model, and to design a chemical and pharmaceutical career guidance advent calendar as a practical implementation tool. The study employed information-analytical, systems, and structural-logical methods, the method of generalization, the World Café facilitation methodology, as well as pedagogical design and pedagogical modelling methods. World Café sessions were conducted to identify students’ perceptions of pharmaceutical professions, motivational factors, and educational needs, which served as the basis for developing the proposed system. Based on the findings, a chemical and pharmaceutical career guidance advent calendar was designed, comprising 35 weekly educational activities implemented throughout the academic year. Each activity integrates four interconnected components: motivational, cognitive, practical, and career-oriented. The practical component includes safe chаemical experiments, laboratory and creative activities, workshops on the preparation of pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations, digital learning resources, and introductory activities related to pharmaceutical marketing. The career-oriented component involves interaction with university students, graduates, academic staff, researchers, and representatives of leading pharmaceutical companies, as well as visits to higher education institutions, research laboratories, pharmaceutical enterprises, pharmacies, and research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Based on the implementation of the project, a conceptual model of the innovative early career guidance system was developed, emphasizing stakeholder collaboration among secondary schools, higher education institutions, employers, and the scientific community. The proposed system integrates pedagogical design, practice-oriented learning, stakeholder partnership, and innovative educational formats into a unified framework for early career guidance in pharmacy. Its implementation creates opportunities to strengthen students’ professional motivation, broaden their understanding of contemporary pharmaceutical careers, facilitate informed educational and career choices, and contribute to the development of the future workforce for the pharmaceutical sector.