Abstract:

Although the overall unemployment rate in the EU and Slovakia is decreasing, the youth unemployment rate is significantly higher. One of the means that make it possible to reduce the unemployment rate is career counseling. Career counseling represents a set of services and activities carried out, intending to serve individuals of every age and in every life situation in choosing a profession, training for a profession, and managing their career. Counseling provided at universities is oriented towards the development of the university student's personality and the activation of his/her abilities and inner potential. Universities in the Slovak Republic provide information and advisory services related to studies and the possibility of their application on the labor market to their students, applicants for studies, and other persons. Contribution deals with the evaluation of the level of use of career counseling services at universities within Slovakia. The evaluation is based on the results of primary research aimed at determining the level of awareness, use and satisfaction of respondents with the provided career counseling services. 70.87% of university students participated in the survey, of which 94.12% of respondents used the services of counseling and career centers. In terms of quality, the respondents were satisfied with the expertise (82.35%) and approach of the advisers (70.59%), as well as with the quality of the acquired information (76.47%). Based on the research results, activities were proposed that can support and increase young people's interest in career counseling services.

Keywords:

Career counseling, career guidance, career counseling services, university counseling, youth unemployment rate