The World Academy of Career Programmes (WACP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) conducted the School Leaders Summit, IBCP Confluence 2023, on October 12, 2023, at the Roseate House, Aerocity, New Delhi. Supported by EducationWorld, the event was themed “The IB Advantage for the New Era of Education,” and brought together over 270 school leaders, educators, and industry professionals to learn about the IB Career-related Programme (CP) and how it can help schools prepare their students for success in the workforce.

The IBCP is a globally recognized program that allows students to specialize in various professional sectors, including those provided by WACP as a recognized Career-related Studies (CRS) provider. The program is designed for students after Grade 10 as a two year programme (Grade 11 & 12) to help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their chosen fields and to be competitive in the global economy.

The School Leaders Summit featured a variety of speakers and panelists, including distinguished school heads, university leadership teams, and industry experts. The speakers and panelists shared their insights on the importance of career-related education and how the IB CP can help schools prepare their students for the future of work.

The event commenced with the keynote address by Haif Bannayan, Global Director for Business Development at the IB. Subsequently, IB Executive Leadership, Dr. Anton Béguin, Chief Education Officer, shared on the future of professional programmes, and Dr. Amy Parker-Dixon, Director of Marketing and Communications, highlighted the advantages of the Career-related Programme for student advancement. Captain Rohit Sen Bajaj, School Director at Pathways School Gurgaon, enlightened the audience about the need for a robust professional programme in high schools. Next, a panel discussion was held on the role of IBCP in empowering student choices and making them career-ready. The panelists, who included experts from the education and industry sectors, discussed the importance of career guidance to help students discover their passions, and how parents can support their children in making informed career decisions.

Haif Bannayan, Global Director Business Development said, “The IB has made its way to 5,500 schools in 160 countries for its various programmes. Today we have gathered to recognise the transformative power of education through the IB and WACP’s career-related programmes. It is a pleasure working with WACP who have supported the growth of the IBCP. The curriculum prepares students to thrive in the 21st century. In a world where asking the right questions is as important as discovering the answers, the IBCP nurtures critical thinking and flexibility in students across disciplinary, cultural, and national boundaries.”

Dr. Anton Béguin, Chief Education Officer enlightened attendees with a detailed breakdown of the IB Career-related Programme. Elaborating on the framework, Dr. Béguin said, “The framework includes 3 components: Career-related Stud, DP subjects and Core Subjects that encompass personal and professional skills, service learning, reflective project, and language development. The framework is meticulously designed to offer students numerous benefits such as a mix of theoretical and practical skills, flexibility to cater to diverse students’ needs, recognition in several universities, and preparation for the world of work. It is encouraging to see that CP adoption by schools around the world has climbed steadily during 2018-2023.”

During the second half, a session on strategies for onboarding and school success was delivered where Ronit Bhat, IBCP Coordinator of Children’s Academy and Manan Choksi, Executive Director for the UDGAM School for Children, shared insights on how their schools took steps for a successful implementation of IBCP. This was followed by a panel discussion on the theme “From Classroom to Career: IBCP’s Role in Bridging Education and Profession,” featuring a diverse panel of school leaders, government authorities, higher education leaders, and IB experts.

The panel discussion, “Building Bridges with Higher Education Institutions,” was very informative and engaging. It featured university leaders from Masters Union, Shoolini University, Vinayaka Mission Law School, Vishwakarma University, Access Michigan Colleges Alliance (USA) and Association of Indian Universities. The discussion reinforced the IBCP as the first step towards the integration of schools and universities, and universities and industries. All panel discussions were followed by a Q&A session where different participating school representatives’ queries were addressed.

Dr. Amy Parker-Dixon, Director of Marketing and Communications at the IB shared, “The IBCP is a unique option for students, particularly those interested in specific careers. It is a strong academic programme as it allows students to explore different career options, especially if they have a focus on business, artificial intelligence, sports management, or event management. Another unique aspect of a career-related programme is that it is very well recognised by universities globally. This allows students to progress through both: attending university as well as a career of their choice.”

In addition to over 270 academic leaders, 500+ viewers including parents, students, and school representatives attended the event online from around the world including Bahrain, Australia, Switzerland, China, Pakistan, Nepal, and the USA.

Also read: Advantages of IB curriculum for the 21st century learner