Role of School Counselors in Vocational Guidance in Ondo State Senior Secondary Schools

This study examined the role of school counselors in providing vocational guidance to students in senior secondary schools in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Vocational guidance is an integral component of comprehensive school counseling, enabling students to make informed career choices aligned with their interests, aptitudes, and labor market realities. A descriptive survey design was employed, with data gathered from 150 school counselors and 450 students across 25 schools in five local government areas. Instruments included the Counselor Role in Vocational Guidance Scale (CRVGS) and a student vocational decision-making questionnaire. Results revealed that most counselors limited their vocational guidance activities to annual career days, with fewer than 30 percent conducting regular individual or group vocational counseling sessions. Large caseloads, inadequate professional development, and the absence of vocational assessment tools were identified as primary constraints. Students who received more intensive vocational guidance reported greater clarity in career decision-making and more positive attitudes toward vocational education. The study recommends that the Ondo State Government mandate a minimum standard for vocational guidance services in all secondary schools, provide counselors with career assessment inventories and occupational information resources, and reduce counselor caseloads to acceptable ratios. These findings are practically relevant to school administrators and education policymakers in South West Nigeria. Keywords: school counselors, vocational guidance, Ondo State, career decision-making, secondary schools.