High School Counselor Training Needs in Career Interest Assessment

The purpose of the study was to assess high school counselors' inservice training needs in the use of career interest inventories. There were 168 Illinois high school counselor who participated (56% of the high school counselors contacted). The assessments for the study included a mailed survey and a telephone interview covering 26 possible training needs. The most frequently endorsed items were: (a) choosing the interest inventories for best use together (63%); (b) selection of appropriate inventories for group or individual use (62%); and (c) relating interest inventory scores to other sources of job information for career planning (56%). The least endorsed items were: administration and scoring of interest inventories (17%) and use of interest inventories with handicapped students (17%). It was concluded that counselors and educators who provide inservice training should address the areas of training needs for high school counselors in a priority manner.