Most commonly reported Work Activities

•   Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
•   Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
•   Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
•   Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
•   Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
•   Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
•   Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
•   Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
•   Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
•   Provide Consultation and Advice to Others Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Working Life

Guidance counsellors may work with clients through in-depth face-to-face interviews, which usually last for one hour. There may also be 'drop-in' sessions where a client can discuss an issue, usually for between 20 and 30 minutes. Sometimes Youth guidance workers talk to clients over the telephone & Voice / video over internet. Some advisers give presentations to groups, or run courses or workshops to help Young adults in the community. They may work with young adults who have special needs in learning difficulties, or residential status.   
  
Youth guidance counsellors provide information on the availability of courses, their content and how to get on them. They may use booklets and printed sheets, or audio and visual materials. Some Youth guidance workers produce their own materials in their services.   
  
The youth guidance worker may use a computer database to find educational and vocational training courses. They guide their clients through assessment techniques such as career quisses. Guidance workers encourage self-assessment. The information they give must be impartial, and must help clients to come to their own decisions.   
  
Building a trusting relationship with clients is essential. For example, an adult may have to address factors in their lives that have prevented them from making educational achievements in the past. By listening carefully, the youth guidance worker can begin to understand any difficulties from the client's point of view. The guidance worker may ask questions to help clients explore various aspects of their life and feelings, encouraging them to talk as freely and openly as possible.   
  
It is very important that the guidance worker does not make judgements or attempt to impose solutions of their clients. Their aim must always be to enable people to talk about and clarify their problems, and then to help them act for themselves to resolve them.   
  
Some duties of Adult Education Guidance Counsellors include:

• Provide guidance, counselling and information services to individual clients and to groups, and provide referral services to other agencies as appropriate
• Provide support and advice in the field of guidance and counselling to staff of Further Education centres, and support the development  of an integrated curriculum of learning, guidance and progression
• Broker services with educational bodies and other institutions as emerging client needs are identified
• Share good practice from the sector and supporting the mainstreaming of relevant lessons into national policy and practice 

 Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
• Provide crisis intervention to young adults when difficult situations occur in their communities.
• Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss the yonng adults progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
• Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
• Evaluate students' or individuals' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics using tests, records, interviews, or professional sources.
• Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
• Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
• Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.
• Conduct follow-up interviews with young adults to determine if their needs have been met.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
• Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
• Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
• Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
• Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
• Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
• Teach classes and present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
• Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programmes and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.
• Conduct follow-up interviews with counselees to determine if their needs have been met.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

 Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

The qualification in guidance and counselling is a postgraduate course. To satisfy the entry requirements one must have a basic undergraduate degree NFQ level 6-8.   

Employers place importance on the right personal qualities. Relevant life and work experience are also highly valued. You may have gained this in an area such as: teaching, youth and community work, social work, and probation work or personnel work.   

Relevant courses are available at institutions throughout the country. Information on course details and entry requirements can be obtained from the individual colleges.

Sample Education and Training Pathways
A number of courses are available throughout the country that focus on learning and skills that may be useful for this career. The examples and links below may guide you in your research. 

Further Education (FET)
Further Education & Training (FET) Courses are delivered by local ETBs, ranging in duration from several weeks up to 20 months. Courses are designed to meet the labour market needs and often include a large element of work experience.

Example search terms include: teaching, youth and community work, social work, probation work, personnel work.

Search for FET Courses

PLC Courses (FET)
PLC courses are full-time courses, one or two years duration, with awards at Level 5 and 6 on the NFQ. They are offered nationally in Schools and Colleges of Further Education.

Example search terms include: teaching, youth and community work, social work, probation work, personnel work.

Search for PLC Courses

Higher Education CAO (Undergraduate) 
Higher Education courses at Levels 6 to 8 on the NFQ, delivered in Universities and Technological Universities & Institutes. Courses run from 2 – 5 years and places are allocated on a points-based system, processed by the Central Application Office.

Example search terms include: teaching, youth and community work, social work, probation work, personnel work, HR.

Search for CAO Courses

Higher Education (Postgraduate)
Postgraduate courses are courses at Levels 9 and 10 on the NFQ and usually last 1 – 2 years full time, or longer if a PhD or part time. Entrants typically require an undergraduate award (Level 8).

Example search terms include: career guidance, counselling.

Search for Postgraduate Courses

Dublin City University (DCU)

MSc in Guidance Counselling
2 year part time (contact DCU directly regarding entry criteria)

University of Limerick (UL)

MA Guidance Counselling & Lifespan Development
2 year part time (contact UL directly regarding entry criteria)

Maynooth University (MU)

Certificate in Adult Guidance Theory and Practice

1 year part time (contact MU directly for more information and entry criteria)

Post Graduate Diploma in School Guidance Counselling
1 year part time - SCHOOL ONLY (contact MU directly for more information and entry criteria)

Master of Education - School Guidance Counselling
1 year part time - SCHOOL ONLY (contact MU directly regarding entry criteria)

Post Graduate Diploma (Arts) in Adult Guidance Counselling
2 year part time - FURTHER EDUCATION ONLY - (contact MU directly regarding entry criteria)

Recognizing Foreign Guidance Qualifications

NARIC Ireland provides advice on the academic recognition of foreign qualifications by comparing them, where possible and appropriate, to a major award type and level on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). A comparability statement for each qualification listed is available for download on the NARIC website.

Professional Development 

Professional development (CPD) courses are specialised training, formal education, or advanced professional learning that improves skills, professional knowledge, competency, and overall effectiveness in the professional world.

• Institute of Guidance Counsellors 
• ILDN
• NYCI National Youth Council of Ireland

Check the Useful Contacts tab on this page to see if there are any professional bodies listed who may provide training related to this career.

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €26k - €41k

Slaries may vary by em,poyer, experience, duties, role, and location. Salaries vary slightly by Local area partnership from the Youth & Employment salary scales. Check with local area partnership for details ILDN

Data Source(s):
ILDN /Indeed.ie

Last Updated: April, 2023

Note: The following information relates to occupations that include: Youth and community workers; Child and early years officers; Housing officers; Counsellors Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

The annual average employment growth rate for this occupation continued to be strong across the five-year period. Census data for 2022 indicates that youth and community workers account for the largest share of occupations within this group and vacancies announced through DSP Jobs Ireland in 2022 were primarily for these roles.

• ILDN Irish Local Development Network

  • Unit 24, Tait Business Centre, Dominic St, Limerick, V94 A9X6
  • 061 404 923
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Pobal

  • Head Office, Holbrook House, Holles Street, Dublin 2
  • (01) 511 7000
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• IGC Institute Of Guidance Counsellors

  • Institute of Guidance Counsellors, The Basement, 17 Herbert St., Dublin 2, Ireland.
  • 01 6761975
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here