A Study of the Influence of Career Counseling Perception on the Employment Competencies of Design Students in Central Taiwan

Abstract

In recent years, many advanced countries have been outsourcing their lower-skilled jobs to other countries for manufacturing. As a result, employment opportunity has been declining for younger generations in advanced countries. Moreover, the extensive application of production technologies also leads to the replacement of labors by automatic machines. The employment opportunity of young adults has also gradually been deprived. It has become more difficult for students to make a career decision during college. After graduation, students also encounter the difficult choice of getting a job or going to graduate school. Therefore, career counseling for a student is critical to his/her career development. It is required to assist students in developing a correct career concept so that they can make an appropriate choice for their career. College students who are studying in design-related departments in central Taiwan were selected as the research target in this study. A total of 460 questionnaire copies were dispatched and 378 valid questionnaire copies were returned with a rate of response of 82%. The result of this research is threefold, as follows. 1. Career counseling has a significant positive influence on the vocational self-concept. 2. Vocational self-concept has a significantly positive influence on the employment competencies. 3. Career counseling has a significantly positive influence on employment competencies. We proposed recommendations based on the results of the investigation and analysis. It is expected that, the result can help schools provide appropriate and proper career counseling in order to assist and guide students into making proper career choices.

Expected Competencies from University Graduates for Employment in Serbia

“…Yet, we believe it could help scholars to choose a suitable path toward conceptualizing competencies and universities to adjust curricula in order to provide for the development of competencies that this labour market requires. In order to implement competency-based education, a more practical approach such as 'real-world' projects (Khoo, Zegwaard, & Adam, 2018) should be implemented, as well as career counselling (Lo, 2019) and career management competencies development (Jackson & Wilton, 2016). It is important, especially for Serbian universities, to innovate their courses and teaching methods so competencies that are identified as important should be developed through many different courses in the study programme.…”

Untitled

“…As Chi-Hung Lo (Lo, 2019) pointed out in his study, such research should involve an optimal approach to the counselling and guidance of young people in the right career decision making.…”

Beyond Traditional Pathways: Innovations in Career Counseling for the 21st Century

“…The concept of lifology and lifometric career assessment inventory has been introduced, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and individualized approach to career assessment, reflecting the shift towards personalized career pathways in counseling practices (Parameswar et al, 2018). Furthermore, the study of the influence of career counseling perception on the employment competencies of design students has highlighted the role of career counseling in enhancing students' career attitudes and planning, reflecting the impact of customized career pathways on students' vocational development (Lo, 2019).…”