|
|
| |
| Effects of Vocational Counseling on Career Choice and Poverty Reduction among Nigerian Youths
Download PDF
|
OLAOGUN, Ganiyu Olakunle PhD and EKUNDAYO, Adebola Adedoyin
|
Abstract:
Career choice is dependent on the information available to individuals when making career decisions. Vocational counseling guides in career decisions based on aptitudes, interests and abilities of a candidate. The absence of mainstreamed vocational counseling in schools' routine often result in widespread mismatch of individuals to careers that are not selling in today's market which leads to unemployment and poverty among graduates. This study examined the availability and provision of vocational counseling services in basic and post basic education in selected schools in Education District Five, Lagos State. Ten schools with fifty randomly selected students were used as samples. The study is premised on Eli Ginzberg and Associates' vocational counseling theory. Five research questions were raised to develop items on the 'Students' Vocational Counseling and Career Choice Questionnaire' (SVCCDQ), with twenty items, to generate data. Focused Group Discussion (FGD) was also used. Data were subjected to percentages and standard deviation to get mean average scores. Results showed that, schools had counselors who provided skeletal counseling services including career talks, orientation on career choice is given late when students had been streamed to science , art or commercial classes counselors are in short supply, there was correlation between unemployment and poverty and skill based training can increase chances of employment of graduates. Among other suggestions, there was need to employ more counselors in schools, disallow counselors from teaching subjects, teaching skill based courses in schools and insist on providing career orientation to students as early as they are enrolled . Schools should have internet facilities that counselors can use to update their knowledge of careers and vocations that are required in the society intermittently. Poverty will be reduced if students are supported to acquire soft, selling skills along with their academic pursuits through vocational counseling
|
|
|
| | |