Labor Market Surveys: Importance to and Preparedness of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore certified rehabilitation counselors’ (CRCs’) importance of and preparedness in the labor market survey (LMS) competency through data collected by theKnowledge Validation Inventory-Revised(KVI-R) instrument used by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification’s (CRCC) 2011 role and function study (CCRC, 2011b; Leahy, Chan, Sung, & Kim, 2011). LMS is a primary data collection method for gathering occupational and labor market information. Thus, this competency was examined because of its importance in the areas of rehabilitation counseling where this data is usually applied—transferable skills analysis, vocational decision making, job development and placement, and forensics. In this ex post facto secondary analysis, the single largest group of CRCs found LMS to beverytoextremely importantbut also reported onlymoderate preparednessto perform the function. Significant differences were found by geographical location, particularly between the Mid and South Atlantic, and in experience. Discussion, conclusions, implications, and areas for further research are addressed.