THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S ROLE

School counselors play a critical role in students’ career development by:

• Introducing careers and the world of work beginning in lower elementary grades (pre-K–3).
• Providing opportunities to engage students in “life roles including learner and worker” (Gysbers, 2013).
• Providing learning and experiential opportunities for students to acquire behaviors and skills for career readiness (Gysbers, 2013).
• Working with students to identify their interests, abilities, specific career clusters (Stipanovic, 2010) and postsecondary plans (many states mandate an academic/career action plan as a graduation requirement).
• Helping students understand the connection between school and the world of work.
• Helping students plan the transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the world of work (ASCA, 2021).
• Advising students on multiple postsecondary pathways (e.g., college, career-specific credentials and certifications, apprenticeships, military, service-year programs, full-time employment with a family-supporting wage) (Chicago Public Schools Multiple Postsecondary Pathways Framework).
• Connecting students to early college programs (e.g., dual credit/dual enrollment).
• Collaborating with administration, teachers, staff and decision makers to create a postsecondary-readiness and collegegoing culture.
• Providing and advocating for individual pre-K through postsecondary students’ college and career awareness through exploration and postsecondary planning and decision making, which supports students’ right to choose from the wide array of options after completing secondary education.
• Identifying gaps in college and career access and the implications of such data for addressing both intentional and unintentional biases related to college and career counseling.
• Working with teachers to integrate career education into the curriculum.
• Providing opportunities for all students to develop the mindsets and behaviors necessary to learn work-related skills, resilience, perseverance, an understanding of lifelong learning as a part of long-term career success, a positive attitude toward learning and a strong work ethic.
• Recognizing and supporting essential developmental factors is key to future success, such as self-efficacy and identity, motivation and perseverance (Savitz-Romer & Bouffard, 2013).

ASCA Position Statement The School Counselor and Career Development