Student Counsellors
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Student Counsellors provide information and assistance to students, parents and teachers about a wide range of matters, such as students' personal problems, learning difficulties and special requirements.
Tasks
-
Conducts counselling interviews with students.
-
Assists students in the understanding and adjustment of attitudes, expectations and behaviour to develop more effective interpersonal relationships.
-
Presents alternative approaches and discusses potential for attitude and behavioural change.
-
Contributes information, understanding and advice on the learning and behaviour of students, especially those with special needs, and assists parents and teachers in dealing with these needs.
-
May work in a call centre.
Characteristics
-
University
-
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
-
Helping
-
Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Counsellors, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 55% of people employed as Student Counsellors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 11 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
-
Most Student Counsellors work in the Education and training industry. They are also employed in industries like:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Student Counsellors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 34.6 | 31.6 |
VIC | 27.8 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.0 | 20.0 |
SA | 10.6 | 7.0 |
WA | 5.2 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.4 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.3 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.1 | 1.9 |
-
Around 62% of Student Counsellors live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.
South Australia and New South Wales have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
-
The median age of Student Counsellors is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 78% of the workforce. This is 30 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Student Counsellors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 1.1 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 5.8 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 23.7 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 22.1 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 21.2 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.1 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 9.9 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 6.2 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 43 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A bachelor degree in psychology, counselling or social work is usually needed to work as a Student Counsellor. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Registration with the state or territory teaching board is required to teach in schools.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Community Services VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Student Counsellors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 45.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 33.3 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 9.5 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 3.6 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 7.0 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.7 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.7 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Counsellors who can communicate clearly and are caring and compassionate.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
68%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
-
63%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
63%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
-
61%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
-
59%
SpeakingTalking to others.
-
57%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
57%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
-
55%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
55%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
55%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
54%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
52%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
50%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
50%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
50%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
48%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
-
48%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
48%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
45%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
90%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
80%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
79%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
75%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
69%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
69%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
64%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
59%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
54%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
50%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
49%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
41%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
41%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
41%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
39%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
39%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
34%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
31%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
23%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
17%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
-
66%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
-
64%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
-
64%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
-
64%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
63%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
59%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
54%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
-
50%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
-
50%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
50%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
-
50%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
50%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
48%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
41%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
39%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
-
39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
-
36%
VisualizationImagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
34%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
78%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
73%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
72%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
72%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
69%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
66%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
65%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
65%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
65%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
63%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
63%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
60%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
59%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
59%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
58%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
58%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
54%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
53%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
49%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
-
46%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
100%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
52%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
52%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
48%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
48%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
14%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
100%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
76%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
71%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
67%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
67%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
52%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
-
100%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
92%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
91%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
91%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
89%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
88%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
88%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
84%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
82%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
80%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
77%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
76%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
76%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
76%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
73%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
72%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
68%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
63%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 21-1012.00 - Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
-
Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.