Career Counselling and Employment Readiness Among Persons with Physical Disabilities in Rehabilitation Centres in Kaduna State

Persons with physical disabilities in Nigeria face systemic barriers to employment that are compounded by inadequate access to career counselling and vocational preparation services. This study examined the relationship between career counselling and employment readiness among persons with physical disabilities attending rehabilitation centres in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. A descriptive correlational design was employed, with 150 rehabilitation centre clients selected through purposive sampling from three centres in Kaduna South and Kaduna North local government areas. The Career Counselling Exposure Scale and the Employment Readiness Scale were administered. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between career counselling exposure and employment readiness. Participants with greater counselling involvement demonstrated higher vocational self-efficacy, more realistic job search strategies, and stronger workplace preparedness. However, most participants reported minimal structured career counselling experience, with services largely limited to skill acquisition training without accompanying psychological or vocational guidance. Gender significantly moderated employment readiness, with male participants consistently reporting higher scores. The study recommended that rehabilitation centres in Kaduna State formalise career counselling as a core service component, with counsellors trained in disability-inclusive vocational guidance frameworks. Collaboration with private sector employers for inclusive hiring initiatives was also advocated. Keywords: career counselling, employment readiness, physical disability, rehabilitation, Kaduna State.