Career Counsellor’s Assistance in Choosing a Technical School in the Opinion of Parents
Career Counsellor’s Assistance in Choosing a Technical School in the Opinion of Parents

Summary/Abstract: This article presents the results of the author’s research, which aimed to identify how parents perceive career Counsellor’s assistance in the choice of post-primary school and to what extent labour market forecasts are considered in the decision-making process. The research results correspond with the view presented from the perspective of their children published in the article "Career Counsellor’s Assistance to Students in the Choice of Post-primary School and Profession Sought in the Labour Market" (Pardej, 2024a). The qualitative research used the interview method. The analysis of the research material was conducted using the MAXQDA 2022 program. The research sample consisted of parents of first-year students of Warsaw technical schools studying the professions of the future N=53 (Monitor Polski, Journal of Laws, 2023, item 145). Regarding the choice of secondary school and profession, parents and their children most often use the services of a career counsellor at primary school (40 coded segments). In many families, however, the decision-making process occurs without consulting a career counsellor (28 coded segments). According to parents, their children are more likely to seek the help of a career counsellor at school than at the psychological-educational counselling centre because of the long-term contact, followed by the child’s openness to cooperation. Parents see many areas for improvement regarding the competence of career counsellors and the lessons they teach. Parents have a (usually everyday) knowledge of the labour market and desired occupations (30 coded segments). If they check labour market forecasts, they often do so together with their children (12 coded segments) or give up this activity (23 coded segments). In contrast, occasionally, they do so alone (either children or parents).

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