Retired Educators’ Career Transition as a New Life Role of Underwriting Career Development in Botswana

Abstract

Retired educators of Botswana strongly disagree with the idea that a retiree is a liability and cannot contribute to a system’s advancement. The study explores retired educators’ view that career development of young persons can benefit from retirees’ career transitional experiences, through mentoring. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 individuals and 3 groups of retirees. Career construction and phenomenological principles informed the study, while, thematic analysis reflected the experiences of retired educators. Four themes emerged, including, Meaningful experiences for retired educators and Recommendations for future education programmes. Interview excerpts are evidence for acquired self-awareness and leadership, soft skills, necessary for career development. Mentoring and reflective forums are some ways retired educators could be engaged in career development.