This study was aimed at assessing the extent to which competences and skills of guidance counselors (GCs) can foster the effectiveness of the guidance counseling services in Cameroon State universities. The research was carried out in four state universities in Cameroon notably University of Buea, University of Bamenda, University of Douala and University of Yaounde II using a sample of 577 students, 26 guidance counselors and 21 university administrators and lecturers. The study employed a survey design considering triangulation whereby qualitative and quantitative approaches supported each other to strengthen the validity and reliability of the findings. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to sample four State Universities while participants were involved in the study conveniently. Two sets of questionnaire, one for students and another one for GCs were used while an interview guide helped to gather data from the administrators. Data were digitalized with the support of EpiData version 3.1, and were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS 21.0. As for the textual data (qualitative data), their abstraction was reduced following the process of thematic analysis. The findings revealed that Guidance counselors generally perceived that they were not often exercising the activities for which they were assigned. The most highlighted activity though with poor rate of execution (15.4%) were mobilizing stakeholders to provide inputs, feedbacks and suggestions to improve service delivery; providing data that serve as a basis to solve students’ problems; and maintaining current information on study and job opportunities. This was concordant with students’ perceptions as they generally complained that guidance counselors were not often carrying out their dedicated activities. University administrators and lecturers stressed that knowledge and skills in guidance and counseling services were very important for counselors to partake in their profession. Both the students and guidance counselors equally acknowledged that guidance counselors’ competences are important for the effectiveness of guidance and counseling services. Some administrators objectively acknowledged that they could not assess guidance counselors since they have never participated in any of their counseling services. In fact, administrators and lecturers acknowledged their weak involvement or collaboration with guidance counselors. This collaboration was narrowed to giving them floor to talk during orientation days. Lack of career profile for counselors was a major concern, and moreover, guidance counselors were mostly trained for secondary schools and did not have a terminal degree, which makes them to be under looked upon. The leading consequence was the fact that GCs now tend to focus more in furthering their study in the University to which they are attached, thus neglecting the job for which they were employed. The chain effect is that, after achieving their terminal degrees, which might not even be in counseling, they now seek opportunities to teach in the amphitheaters where they now spend most of their time, to the detriment of the counseling of students they were employed for. It was advocated that there is a need to have a plan of action for service evaluation, visit to the counseling units to assess output directly or indirectly. It was equally recommended that real experts in counseling to follow up and implement counseling programs as well as Guidance Counselling Services should be posted to the institutions. Adequate finances, facilities and equipment, improving collaboration between administrators, lecturers and Guidance Counsellors, and also providing a career profile for Guidance Counsellors were also recommended.
Guidance counselor, competence, skills, effectiveness, services
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