VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

Introduction:

Vocational guidance is a long continuous process, which begins in the school and is needed throughout the working life of the individual. In guidance movement, attention was first paid to vocational guidance. Frank Parsons was the first in outlining the scope and functions of vocational guidance. Later on many guidance workers came in the field and defined the nature and purpose of vocational guidance.

Meaning and Definitions:

For a layman, vocational guidance is assistance to a person regarding some vocation.

According to David Super

“Vocational guidance is the process of helping the individual to adjust in the occupations, to make effective use of human power and to facilitate the economic development of the society.”

According to Frank Parson

“The vocational bureau is intended to aid young people to choosing an occupation, preparing themselves for it, finding an opening in it and building up a career of efficiency and success.”

Functions of vocational guidance at Secondary School Stage:

 Some main aims of functions of vocational guidance at secondary school stage are as follows: -

1.      Helping pupils to know themselves:

The child is developed sufficiently to understand himself and about the external world as he enters secondary school stage. It is the time when the real and well-organized concepts should be developed about his own mind and working areas. This helps the children in planning realistically. 

2.      Helping pupils to make a right choice:

By counseling interview, the pupil can be helped to know and evaluate his qualities. This evaluation facilitates the pupil for right choice. In this decision of right choice, both the pupil and his parents are involved. Sometimes parents need more guidance than the pupil.

3.      Helping pupils to prepare themselves for entry into the careers of their choice:

These days, the persons require training in most of the vocations. He has to take this time-scheduled training. Hence, it is very essential to provide information to the pupils about the facilities of this training well before time.

4.      Helping pupils to get suitable jobs in their chosen field:

Any vocational guidance programme will be incomplete if it does not include placement service. Good beginning of vocation is very important and essential. For this purpose, our government has started youth employment service as a part of national employment service. It is the duty of the school to provide proper information regarding this service to the school leaving pupils so that the help can be sought in the selection of the vacation and placement in it.

5.      Helping pupils according to their vocational assets and liabilities:

Through a student information service, the guidance programme should assist the pupils to appraise their abilities, aptitudes, interests and personality qualities. The pupils should be helped to ‘measure’ themselves, their assets and liabilities.

6.      Helping pupils to be familiar with vocational implications of different subjects to be studied in the secondary school. 

7.      Helping Pupils to be familiar with occupations and their requirements:

For successful adjustment to the world of work, pupils should be helped to be familiar with occupations and their requirements. The pupils should be made familiar with the employment situation in the country, the job trends, and requirements of different jobs as period of training, emoluments, conditions of work and future prospects. This knowledge will be of great help in making adjustments, and preparing proper plans for his future.

One of the major responsibilities of the guidance worker is to bring the complex reality into focus and to help the individual to evaluate both his opportunities and his limitations, so that the transition from secondary school to the academic or vocational stream of higher secondary school or junior college is facilitated. 

Functions of vocational guidance at the Higher Secondary Stage:

The functions of vocational guidance at this stage are:

1. To carry on the work started in the earlier stages more intensively and vigorously. The pupils should be made aware of the opportunities open to them.
2. To help pupils relate their studies to the vocations that is open to them.
3. To help pupils make a comprehensive study of the careers on the lines they would like to pursue.
4. To help pupils acquaint themselves with avenues for higher education and the assistance which might be available in the form of scholarships, stipends, grants and fellowships.
5. To help pupils make contacts which would be helpful in putting their plans into successful operation.

Problems in vocational guidance:

1. Misconception about the nature and scope of vocational guidance.
2. Too much dependence on tests and I.Q. etc.
3. It is difficult to break the prevailing pressure of culture. There is prestige attached to an occupation and none is prepared to forego that.
4. There is lack for adequate information about individual potentialities.
5. There is inadequate staffing of vocational guidance services. 

Conclusion:

The main purposes of the vocational guidance are to serve the individual and society, to prevent maladjustment and dissatisfaction, and to ensure efficient use of manpower. An individual’s potentialities are discovered and developed through his own efforts for his personal happiness and social usefulness.

Reference:

1. Sharma R.A.  (2005), Fundamentals of Guidance and Counseling. Surya Publication,

                                                             Near Govt. Inter College, Meerut, PP (265-270). 

2. Mandeep Nandra & Geeta Sharma (1998), Educational guidance and Counseling. 

Tandon Publications book Market Ludhiana. PP (52-59).  

3. Kochhar S.K. (1993), Educational and vocational Guidance in Secondary Schools.     

   Sterling Publishers Private Limited L-10, Green Park Extension, New Delhi, PP (50-54).

                                                                 

                                                                                                       J.Arun, MA.,M.Phil, M.Ed, M.Phil