Disadvantaged Adult Learners: Can Career Counseling Enhance Adult Education Program Effectiveness?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term impact of career counseling on the career development of educationally disadvantaged adult education students. Follow-up questionnaires were mailed to former adult students who participated in adult education classes between 1979 and 1982. The former students had been exposed to two treatments, basic education classes plus career counseling and basic education classes without career counseling. Eleven dependent variables were examined: (a) educational participation, (b) educational certificate attainment, (c) dependence on public assistance, (d) employment status, (e) self-satisfaction, (f) length of employment, (g) employment gains, (h) income, (i) job satisfaction, (j) length of unemployment, and (k) job-hunting confidence. Multivariate Analyses of Covariance revealed that career counseling has a positive impact on some career development variables of educationally disadvantaged adult learners.