Developmental Assets and Career Development in the Educational System: Integrating Awareness of Self-Identity, Knowledge of the World of Work and the SDGs in School Programs.

Individuals are embedded within systems that possess contextual or ecological developmental assets. Psychosocial assets refer to beliefs that enable positive responses to challenging situations and growth despite adversity, such as hope and a future orientation towards positive attitudes and expectations, as well as persistence and the ability to thrive. Career-related assets refer to career-related resources that characterize career decision-making processes and the world of work, such as the ability to negotiate transitions successfully as well as to tolerate and cope with uncertainty by increasing one's flexibility and autonomy. This study investigated the effectiveness of two sets of psychoeducational activities in promoting positive attitudes and resources, developmental assets that are useful to strengthen students' personal resources and shaping their future. This study also highlighted sensitivity to change in personal and career-related developmental assets. Using a mixed design approach, 108 students with an average age of 13.91 years were asked to participate in two psychoeducational activities. The first activity focused on developing a positive future self-identity and the second activity on career exploration and knowledge about the world of work. The results show that each of these two activities support the development of psychological assets as well as of a perspective that addresses complex dynamics and that may reduce inequalities.

Taking Action towards an Inclusive Career Counselling for Asylum Seekers and Refugees-A Literature Review Based on the PRISMA Model.

Over the past decade, scholarly attention has increasingly focused on what is known as the 'refugee gap', which refers to the great difficulty asylum seekers and refugees face in entering the labour market in the host country. This poses a grave threat of social and occupational marginalisation for this group and highlights the role of systemic factors in facilitating resilience outcomes. By adopting a systemic perspective, this research aims to provide a critical reflection on the key features that should be considered when designing and implementing effective career counselling interventions for asylum seekers and refugees. To this end, a systematic review of the international applied research published by October 2022 has been carried out, using the PRISMA model. The 20 selected publications are grouped according to three main career research strands that reflect the core aspects to be addressed within career interventions in order to assist asylum seekers and refugees in their life and career transition in the host country, namely (i) psychosocial resources, (ii) identity transformation processes, and (iii) lived experiences and meaning-making processes. The main findings of the studies are discussed by looking into common themes that emerge from the literature, namely challenges related to migration contexts, self-regulating personal resources and skills, and sense of self and identity in career transitions, as well as considerations on the design aspects of career counselling and research targeting As&R. Finally, some guidelines and directions for action are provided for the purpose of developing inclusive career counselling interventions for As&R.

Exploring Emotions Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic through Death Education: A Qualitative Study at Italian Primary Schools.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of individuals, families, and children worldwide. In Italy, the implementation of measures such as lockdowns and distance learning in schools affected the mental health of children and families. METHODS: This article employs a qualitative method to explore the efficacy of a death education project that aimed to help primary school children process the emotions and losses that they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study encompassed both the children who took part in the death education project and their teachers and parents to investigate their perspectives on the emotions of the minors and the effectiveness of the project. RESULTS: Distance learning posed challenges for the learning process and exacerbated social inequalities. The children suffered from limited social contact with their friends and experienced negative emotions, including anger, fear, and concern for the health of their loved ones. The death education project provided a safe space for children's emotional expression and facilitated their acquisition of coping strategies. Open communication between adults and children about illness and death proved effective in mitigating the psychological impacts of loss and preventing traumatic bereavement. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the utility of death education in enhancing children's ability to express their emotions and approach the topic of death more frankly.