Vocational Counseling
By Anthony M. Wanjohi
Introduction
Vocational counseling is a career focused on helping those who
need to obtain work. There are many centers that might offer these counseling
services, including those run by various government agencies, serving a diverse
group of people (Zunker, 2002).
Frank Parson was born in 1854 and was trained in civil engineering
at Cornel, later taught Mathematics, History and French in public schools. He
was on faculty at Kansas State University in 1897- 1899 and later on faculty of
Boston University. On May 1, 1908, Parsons presented a lecture that had
tremendous impact on the career guidance movement, by presenting a report that
described systematic guidance procedures used to counsel 80 men and women who
used the bureau for help. Shortly later, he died on September 26, 1908, and his
major work, choosing a Vocation, was published in May 1909 (Bemak,
2000). This paper describes the justification of the claim that Frank Parson is
father of guidance and counseling and his contribution to the contemporary
practice of guidance and counseling.
A Justification of Frank Parson as the Father of Guidance and
Counseling
Frank Parsons (1854–1908) is known as the father of Vocational
Guidance. Although he was educated as an engineer at Cornell University, he
wrote several books on social reform movements and articles related to women's
suffrage, taxation, and education for all. Additionally, he taught history,
math, and French in public schools, worked as a railroad engineer, and passed
the state bar examination for lawyers in Massachusetts in 1881.
Frank Parsons is regarded as the founder of the vocational
guidance movement. He developed the talent-matching approach, which was later
developed into the Trait and Factor Theory of Occupational
Choice . At the centre of
Parsons' theory is the concept of matching. His university occupations included
teaching at Boston University School of Law and at Kansas State Agricultural
College and serving as dean of the extension division of Ruskin College in
Trenton, Missouri. However, Parsons is best known for his interests in helping
individuals make occupational and career choices (Zunker,
2002)
Frank Parsons is often credited with being the father of the
vocational guidance movement. His work with the Civic Service House led to the
development of the Boston Vocation Bureau. In 1909 the Boston Vocation Bureau
helped outline a system of vocational guidance in the Boston public schools.
The work of the bureau influenced the need for and the use of vocational
guidance both in the United States and other countries. By 1918 there were
documented accounts of the bureau's influence as far away as Uruguay and China.
Guidance and counseling in these early years were considered to be mostly
vocational in nature, but as the profession advanced other personal concerns
became part of the school counselor's agenda.
Career guidance appeared alongside advances made in the social
sciences in the early 1900s. Frank Parsons, author of the 1909 work “Choosing a
vocation” and who was also part of the development of ‘vocational bureau’ in
Boston, USA, was one of the founders.
Contribution of Frank Parsons to the Contemporary Practice of
Guidance and Counseling
In 1905, Parsons became director of one of the Civic Service House
programs called the Breadwinner's Institute (Zunker,
2002). Afterwards, Parsons organized the Bureau of Vocational Guidance. Nine
months later, Parsons used the Bureau to train young men to be counselors and
managers for YMCA's schools, colleges, and businesses. A few years later, the
School Committee of Boston created the first counselor certification program,
and eventually the program was adopted by Harvard University as the first
college-based counselor education program (Schmidt 2003). Also, the
superintendent of Boston schools designated 100 elementary and secondary
teachers to become vocational counselors, this became known as the Boston Plan.
Within a few years, school systems across the country followed suit.
Zunker (2002) indicates that Parsons had a long
history of concern for economic and political reforms that would benefit
people. He published books and articles on a wide variety of topics, including
taxation, women’s suffrage, and education for all people. Of all his endeavors,
Parsons was most interested in social reform and especially in assisting people
to make sound occupational choices. Other pioneers in the field credited him
with being the first counselor and he has often been referred to as the father
of guidance (Schmidt, 2003). Parsons alone, of those individuals
who had some direct connection with the organization and extension of guidance
services, had a definite, well-thought-out, and organized social philosophy,
which he articulated often and at length (Studer,
2005).
Parsons became director of what was called the Breadwinners
Institute from 1905 through 1907 (Schmidt, 2003). Parsons developed
a plan for individualized counseling and opened the Vocational Bureau of Boston
in January 1908. He served as its director and vocational counselor. The
primary goal of the bureau was to develop the potential of Boston’s growing
immigrant population. Although Parsons was but one of many who were seeking
social reforms at this time, he was able to secure the support of the leaders
of powerful groups in business, labor, education, and politics (Schmidt,
2003).
Parsons also developed a plan for the education of counselors. His
plan was outlined in his book Choosing a Vocation (1909), published
posthumously. Parson’s prescriptions for how counselees should examine
themselves and their lives reflected his political and social philosophy
(Parsons, 1909).
Frank Parsons became the first president and noted the economic,
educational, and social demands for guidance and the counseling it entailed. He
also felt that it was necessary for the very preservation of society itself
counseling in regard to career choice remained an integral part of the movement
(Campbell, 1997).
Conclusion
From the paper, it is clearly noted that Guidance and counseling
in the early years were considered to be mostly vocational in nature, but as
the profession advanced other personal concerns became part of the school
counselor's agenda. Frank Parsons is regarded as the founder of the vocational
guidance movement since he developed the talent-matching approach, which was
later developed into the Trait and Factor Theory of Occupational Choice. Frank
Parsons is also known as the father of Vocational Guidance as he wrote several
books on social reform movements and articles related to women's suffrage,
taxation, and education for all. It is also noted that Frank Parsons has done a
lot in contributing to the contemporary practice of guidance and counseling,
6this manifests itself where he noted the economic, educational, and social
demands for guidance and the counseling it entailed when he had become a
president.
References
Parsons, F. (1909). Choosing a vocation. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin
Schmidt,
J.J. (2003). Counseling in schools: essential services and
comprehensive programs. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.
Studer, J.R. (2005). The professional school counselor: An
advocate for students Belmont, CA: Thomson
Brooks/Cole
Zunker, V.G. (2002). Career counseling: Applied
Bemak, F. (2000). "Transforming
the Role of the Counselor to Provide Leadership in Educational Reform through
Collaboration." Professional School Counseling 3:323–331.
Brewer,
J. (1918). The Vocational Guidance Movement: Its Problems and
Possibilities. New York: Macmillan.
Burnham,
J. (2000). "School Counselor Roles: Discrepancies between Actual
Practice and Existing Models." Professional School Counseling 4:41–49.
Campbell,
C. (1997). Sharing the Vision: The National Standards
for School Counseling Programs. Alexandria, VA: American School
Counselor Association.
Suggested Citation in
APA
Wanjohi,
A.M. (2010). Vocational counseling. KENPRO Publications. Available online at http://www.kenpro.org/papers/vocational-counseling.htm
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