The Pine Grove Area School District is facing a counselor shortage. Due to this, students are not receiving the counseling they need, and the pandemic is starting to take a toll on them. Instead, the district is looking for ways to deal with this issue.

Even with wellness support with facilities in the area, it seems the support is still insufficient. Schools in the area are finding it hard to convince people to work as a counselor in the area since it's a demanding job. Most staff members would rather take on a substitute teacher role instead.

One option to deal with the counselor shortage is to hire more counselors, but this will be difficult due to staff needing to take time and cold call local candidates. So community members should increase the benefits and provide more support for counselors, so they feel supported properly.

Another option for dealing with the counselor shortage is to use social workers or other professionals to provide counseling services; This would require training for these professionals, but this method can work with the proper support. The district is also considering hiring more support staff so that the counselors can focus on their primary job duties. For example, according to a statement made by Dr. Harrison Bailey at WFMZ, "while Liberty High School has a wellness center to provide additional mental health resources, the school is still facing staffing and financial issues to keep the program open."

Whatever solution the district chooses, they need to solve the counselor shortage so students get the assistance they need and stop being stressed out.

Why are Counselor Shortages Becoming More Prevalent?

Counselor shortages are becoming more prevalent for several reasons. First, the pandemic is causing people to relocate or have problems finding work in their industry. At the same time, some jobs are having difficulty finding new people because of lower pay rates compared to other positions resulting in fewer people entering the workforce.

Second, prices are going up, so more jobs where people were happy to work there now need to find another position to give them higher pay and benefits. Even in fields where jobs have more security and financial benefits that require highly skilled workers, such as technology and healthcare. Third, job satisfaction is declining as employees increasingly feel overworked and undervalued; This leads to higher turnover rates, which creates additional staff shortages.

Finally, many industries are experiencing growth, putting additional pressure on businesses to find qualified employees. As a result, staff shortages are becoming more prevalent due to various factors, including an aging population, global competition for talent, declining job satisfaction, and industry growth. As a result, businesses face significant challenges in finding and retaining qualified employees.

Student Hires Programs

Student Hires is a unique program that pairs college students with K-12 youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. The college students act as mentors and provide hands-on experience in various career fields. As a result, the K-12 students gain valuable knowledge and skills that increase their chances of success in the future. We help schools create impactful after school programs that will make children want to come back year after year.

The program also helps to build relationships between the college students and the youth, creating a sense of community and support. Student Hires is positively impacting the lives of young people in our community, and we are proud to be part of this critical work.

Conclusion

The Pine Grove Area School District is currently dealing with a shortage of school counselors. Hopefully, increased funding and improved benefits for counselors will help Pine Grove Area School receive new help for the upcoming school year.