The counseling needs of adult learners entering two non-degree postsecondary vocational education programs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the counseling needs of adult learners entering two West Virginia educational institutes---Shepherd Community College, Shepherd College, and James Rumsey Technical Institute. Three questions for which answers were sought were: What statistical demographic profile can be established through descriptive analysis concerning such students? What areas of counseling services/information do they need? And are the counseling services provided adequate, as judged by the adult learners themselves, the professional staffs involved and the local employers hiring them?; Two survey questionnaires were administered to more than 280 adult learners and traditional-age students at both schools (one produced by the Higher Educational Research Institute (HERI), University of California, Los Angeles, to determine demographics and the other, which related to counseling, designed by the researcher). A third survey was distributed to 60 professional staff at the schools and a fourth to 125 local employers---both asked for evaluations of counseling services, as evidenced by the preparation of job applicants from the schools' non-degree, postsecondary, vocational education programs. Responses from three publics (adult learners, faculty, and employers) were tallied and statistical analyses using Chi-square methodology produced the following findings: The statistical demographic profile established showed that many adult learners---like traditional-age students---came from families of modest circumstances and most were returning to school because they wanted to better themselves financially. Significantly large numbers of the West Virginia students reported living within commuting distance of school, selecting those schools for low tuitions, and seeking career paths offering immediate local employment, such as practical nursing, truck driving, and mechanics. The research showed that although their needs differed from traditional age students, adult learners required an equally broad spectrum of counseling services. For example, the availability of counseling services was of significant importance to adult learners, who often encountered difficulties in adjusting their employment schedules to the daytime schedules convenient for traditional age students. An economic impetus was stronger and interest in making social contributions significantly less among local adult learners than among their peers nationwide, based on HERI data. Queries generating highly significant levels of response concerned reasons for returning to school as wishing for better paying jobs, certainty of admission as evidenced by significantly fewer applications to other schools, and greater financial security for themselves and their families. The desire for information concerning post-course job placement was highly significant. Responses from the remaining publics were used anecdotally because too few responses were received to be analyzed with any statistical validity. Faculty responses showed strong approval for the counseling services offered at the two institutes, as did the responses from local employers. The latter, however, suggested some deficiencies in basic education---writing, reading, and mathematics---as well as job application skills.