Educational Counsellors (NOC 4143)
Description
Educational counsellors advise current and prospective students on educational issues, career planning and personal development and co-ordinate the provision of counselling services to students, parents, teachers, faculty and staff. They are employed by school boards, universities and colleges, technical institutes, correctional facilities and government agencies.
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Example Titles
- academic counsellor
- educational counsellor
- guidance counsellor
- school counsellor
- student counsellor
>> View all titles
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Classified Elsewhere
- Family, Marriage and Other Related Counsellors (4153)
- School psychologists (in 4151 Psychologists)
- Secondary School Teachers (4141)
- Social Workers (4152)
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Duties
Educational counsellors perform some or all of the following duties:
- Counsel students regarding educational issues such as course and program selection, time tables and scheduling, school adjustment, attendance problems and study skills
- Counsel students regarding career or vocational issues including career exploration and planning, résumé preparation, job interview skills and job search strategies and make available to them a wide range of educational and occupational information
- Counsel students regarding personal and social issues such as substance abuse, depression, sexuality, eating disorders, anxiety, self-esteem, family problems, relationship and interpersonal skills and anger management
- Counsel students in crisis situations such as dealing with the death of a friend or family member, suicidal tendencies and abuse situations
- Consult with teachers and parents or faculty and other professionals such as psychologists, speech therapists and social workers regarding various issues and concerns, and with administrators and community agencies regarding programs and referrals
- Co-ordinate co-op and school-to-work transition programs, and the provision of counselling and information services to students, parents, teachers, faculty and staff such as career information services, professional development sessions and interactions with other educational institutions
- Supervise peer counselling programs in school settings
- Administer and interpret standardized intelligence, personality, vocational, aptitude and interest tests
- Develop and co-ordinate study skills groups or workshops in colleges and universities on topics such as note-taking, test or examination anxiety and preparation strategies and time management skills
- Co-ordinate or participate in student orientation programs in colleges or universities
- Arrange for employers to recruit graduating college and university students, and students for co-op education work terms
- Visit colleges and secondary schools to provide academic information to prospective students, their parents and educational counsellors
- May supervise field experience for graduate students in counselling
- May teach regular classes.
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Skills
Educational counsellors need the following skills and abilities:
- a genuine interest in helping students resolve their problems,
- ability to to listen and comprehend with empathy and understanding, without prejudice or judgement,
- a strong sense of ethics and ability to keep sensitive information confidential,
- creative problem-solving ability,
- good communication skills: listening, speaking, writing,
- excellent interpersonal skills,
- ability to work well with other school clinicians and teachers,
- good organizational skills and ability to handle several different tasks at once,
- a tolerance to ambiguity and an ability to adapt to change quickly
- The creative ability required to develop new programs or ways of doing things,
- research skills to find support services, career paths, and post-secondary education options.
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Employment Requirements
- School counsellors require a bachelor's degree in education and a valid Manitoba teacher's certificate. You must apply for the teacher certificate through the Professional Certification Unit, Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth.
- Usually several years of teaching experience are required. Some school divisions may require a master's degree (Education Guidance and Counselling, Arts - educational psychology, developmental psychology, or Social Work).
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Terms & Conditions
Elementary and secondary school counsellors usually work 10 months per year from September to June. They work standard school or office hours but may work evenings or weekends to meet with parents, attend career-related events, or make presentations. Counsellors in post-secondary institutions work year-round. University and college placement counsellors work long and irregular hours during student recruiting periods. Counsellors usually have their own offices to protect the confidentiality of their student clients. The work can be stressful as students often have serious issues that extend beyond the scope of educational counselling. There is some part time work (16%) in this occupation. Some full time work arrangements combine counselling and teaching duties.
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Earnings
$36,800 per annum - starting
$51,900 per annum - average
$82,100 per annum - high
Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.
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Education / Training
Brandon University offers the following degree programs:
- Bachelor of Education B.Ed. [2 year After degree]
- Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education B.Mus/B.Ed. [Concurrent] [5 year]
- Graduate Diploma in Education with area of concentration in Guidance and Counselling
- Master of Education with area of concentration in Guidance and Counselling
Special programs in Education at Brandon University include:
- The Brandon University Northern Teacher Education Program (BUNTEP) is an off-campus, community-based program, which provides residents of northern Manitoba an opportunity to study to become teachers without having to move to Brandon.
- The Brandon University Hutterian Education Program (BUHEP) is a community-based program designed for Hutterians who want to become qualified teachers. It is delivered in the Hutterite communities in Manitoba and across North America.
- The Brandon University Project for the Education of Native Teachers (PENT) is a community-based program, which enables native teacher assistants to become certified teachers.
The University of Manitoba offers the following degree programs:
- Bachelor of Education B.Ed. [First Degree plus 2 years]
- Integrated Bachelor of Human Ecology and Bachelor of Education B.H.Ecol./B.Ed. [University 1 plus one year in Human Ecology plus 3-4 years].
- Music/Education Integrated Degrees [2 years Music plus 3.5 years]
- Bachelor of Physical Education for students who wish to pursue an additional B.Ed [3 years].
- Aboriginal Counselling Skills Certificate through Extended Education
- Applied Counselling Certificate program through Extended Education
- Master of Education, Guidance and Counselling Specialization
- Master of Arts, in Psychology.
- Master of Social Work.
The University of Winnipeg offers the following degree programs:
- Integrated Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)/Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)/Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Program [5 years]
- A 2-year after-degree Bachelor of Education Program for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree.
- The University of Winnipeg/Winnipeg Education Centre Bachelor of Education Program provides mature citizens of Winnipeg's inner city with the necessary education to become certified teachers in the inner city.
- The Community-based Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (CATEP) allows Aboriginal teachers to be trained in their own community.
- University of Winnipeg/Red River College joint integrated Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)/Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)/Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Program [5 years]
Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface offers the following programs:
- Baccalauréat en éducation voie élémentaire
- Baccalauréat en éducation voie secondaire
- Diplôme postbaccalauréat en education
- Maîtrise en éducation
The Canadian Mennonite University:
- Offers a pre-professional program for students wishing to further their studies in the professional education program.
- Athabasca University (Distance Education) offers the following programs which are offered through the Campus Alberta Applied Psychology (CAAP): Counselling Initiative, a collaborative initiative involving Athabasca University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge:
- Master of Counselling
- Post-Graduate Certificate in Counselling
- Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling
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Career Paths
Teachers with several years of experience may move into guidance counselling. Counsellors may specialize in academic counselling, personal or social issues and problems, or career and vocational counselling.
Large school divisions may have opportunities for directors of counselling services.
School counsellors may move into university or college student services positions, or become school administrators.
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Outlook
Employment prospects for educational counsellors are expected to be good in the period 2010 - 2014. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 780.
Educational policy, funding of educational services and enrollment influence the demand for educational counsellors. The overall size of the school age population in Manitoba is slowly declining, although the impacts will vary among regions. There will be greater demand for educational counsellors to work with aboriginal youth or new immigrants, two areas where the population is increasing.
All school divisions are mandated to provide some counselling services for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Educational counsellors play an important role in student support services such as determining appropriate programming, developing safe school charters, as well as school-based planning and ongoing care of students.
There are expected to be increased employment opportunities later in the forecast period as increasing numbers of educational counsellors reach retirement age. The prevalence of career software and internet resources is not expected to affect the demand for educational counsellors.
Jobs are distributed throughout the province in line with population distribution, although there is a relatively larger concentration in Northern Manitoba. The majority of educational counsellors work in Educational Services (93%), followed by Public Administration (4%).
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Employment by Age Group
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Employment by Industry
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Employment by Region
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Employment by Gender
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Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
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Employment by Visible Minority
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Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...
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