Role of Guidance and Counselling in Reducing Apprenticeship Dropout and Improving Completion Rates among Youths in Awka Education Zone, Anambra State

Apprenticeship remains one of the major avenues through which youths in Awka Education Zone, Anambra State, acquire vocational skills and achieve economic independence. However, many apprentices fail to complete their training programmes. This study examined the role of guidance and counselling in reducing apprenticeship dropout and improving completion rates among youths in Awka Education Zone. Two research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised all 65 school counsellors in public secondary schools across the five Local Government Areas in Awka Education Zone, and census sampling was used to include all respondents. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire titled Role of Guidance and Counselling in Reducing Apprenticeship Dropout and Improving Completion Rates Questionnaire (RGCRADICRQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Guidance and Counselling and Measurement and Evaluation, while its reliability was established using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.84. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation with a criterion mean of 2.50. The findings revealed that guidance and counselling play a significant role in reducing apprenticeship dropout by strengthening commitment, reducing frustration, improving emotional well-being, and helping apprentices manage conflicts and peer pressure. Guidance and counselling were also found to improve apprenticeship completion rates through enhanced motivation, goal setting, self-confidence, and communication with masters. The study concluded that guidance and counselling is a valuable intervention for improving apprenticeship retention and completion and recommended extending structured counselling services to apprentices beyond the formal school system in Awka Education Zone.

guidance and counselling, apprenticeship dropout, completion rate, youths, Awka Education Zone

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