Career/Vocational Guidance/Counselling: A Tool for Functional Education and Graduate Employability

Abstract

This study was undertaken to ascertain the extent to which career guidance/counselling can serve as a tool for functional education and graduate employability. The study was conducted in Kogi State University, Anyigba. A sample size of 500 was selected using stratified and simple random sample techniques, across the faculties of the final year students. The data collected from the sample were analyzed using simple percentage and mean. The results obtained among others were as follows; that the level of guidance and counselling services among the students in the university was not significantly high. There was significant influence in academic performance of students who had received guidance and counselling services as against those who had not. That guidance services serves as motivation for acquisition of skills. It was recommended that guidance and counselling services should be improved upon, and that guidance/counsellors should be employed by university authority. Priority should be focused on the attitude of students toward guidance service and that guidance/counselling services should be given at the point of entry and should be guided to point of graduation. A functional guidance counselling units should be established in all tertiary institution in Nigeria. Fund should be raised by the federal/state governments to maintain guidance units in all our university campuses. By so doing, students focus on their course of studies and those who need change of course to suite their career choice could be assisted through follow up, on graduation they could easily be employed and become functional and useful to themselves and society at large.