THE STATE OF CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING PROVISIONS AT A RURAL UNIVERSITY: CAREER ADVISORS' REFLECTIONS

The study sort to establish the state of career guidance and counseling provisions at a South African rural university as reflected by the university's career advisors. A qualitative design was employed. Three career advisors participated in an in-depth interview. The data was thematically analysed. The study revealed that the rural university's career advisors' main activities included coordinating orientation for new students, conducting career advising workshops for students, graduate deployment programmes and sometimes making high schools career guidance visits. They advertised their serves on notice boards. The university had some career brouchers and CDs for graduate careers. They collaborated with the Department of Education, District coordinators, principals and student counselors. The rural university did not have career counseling centres, the career advisors were short staffed and under qualified. They also believed the services were not taken seriously. Not all students were aware of the career guidance services. This was because career advising was not time tabled and thus career advisors had little access to the students. The study recommended for an increased number of career advisers, introduction of peer advisors and the creation of well resourced career counseling centres. Each faculty should have at least one teaching staff who liaises with the career advisors in career counseling centres. The career advisors need to be competent in the use of career psychological tests. They need to coordinate with people like librarians.