Full Careers

What are the historical trends of career counseling?

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1. In the United States, the school counseling profession began as a vocational guidance movement at the beginning of the 20th century. Jesse B. Davis is considered the first to provide a systematic school guidance program. In 1907, he became the principle of a high school and encouraged the school English teachers to use compositions and lessons to relate career interests, develop character, and avoid behavioral problems. Many others during this time did the same. For example, in 1908, Frank Parsons (Father of School Guidance) established the Bureau of Vocational Guidance to assist young people in making the transition from school to work. From the 1920s to the 1930s, school counseling and guidance grew because of the rise of progressive education in schools. This movement emphasized personal, social, moral development. Many schools reacted to this movement as anti-educational, saying that schools should only teach the fundamentals of education. This combined with the economic hardship of the Great Depression led to a decline in school counseling and guidance. In the 1940's, the U.S. used psychologists and counselors to select, recruit, and train military personnel. This propelled the counseling movement in schools by providing ways to test students and meet their needs. Schools accepted these military tests openly. Also, Carl Rogers emphases on the helping relationships during this time influenced the profession of school counseling. In the 1950s, the government developed the Guidance and Personnel Services Section in the Division of State and Local School Systems was established. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I. The American government reacted in anxiety that the Russians were beating the U.S. in the space race, which had military implications. The American government, out of concerns that there were not enough scientists and mathematicians, established the National Education Act; which spurred a huge growth in vocational guidance through large amounts of funding. Since the 1960's, the profession of school counseling has continued to grow as new legislation and new professional developments were established to refine and further the profession and improve education (Schmidt, 2003). Additional information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_counselor