Global Counsellor Award winner – Ketevan Maghlakelidze

How does it feel to win Counsellor of the Year – Africa at the first ever Global Counsellor Awards?

Winning the Times Higher Education Counsellor of the Year – Africa at the first ever Global Counsellor Awards is an extraordinary honour. Knowing that my colleagues appreciate and support my efforts is incredibly inspiring, gratifying and humbling and inspires me to continue striving for greater heights in providing support and guidance to those in need. 

Tell us a little bit about your career background and how you became a school counsellor.

I started my career in international education with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, where I worked on aligning higher education with the Bologna Process. Over the years, I’ve often taken on pioneering roles. For example, I was the first IB Diploma coordinator at the first IB school in Tbilisi, Georgia, and also took on the role of a university guidance counsellor. My main goal was to help students get their hard work recognised by top universities worldwide. 

To do this, I learned all about university guidance and created a personalised approach for my students. This helped them get into some of the best universities around the world. Because of the high demand for my guidance, I started working as an independent counsellor and built partnerships with many institutions. My approach was all about putting the student first and tailoring advice to each individual. I’m proud to say that all the students I’ve supported have successfully completed their degrees. After that, I joined Enko Education to take on a new challenge in a region that was new to me at the time. 

Seven years ago, I was tasked with creating a vision for university guidance services at Enko Education, with the mission of becoming a “Launchpad to the World’s Best Universities”. This journey began by understanding the diverse needs, interests and aspirations of our students, which vary greatly by country. Concurrently, I focused on recruiting and training passionate local counsellors. 

We set two primary goals: to develop and motivate local staff through rigorous training and to establish a programme that educates students about international higher education options while preparing them for the demanding application and selection processes. This problem-solving approach allowed me the freedom to innovate and create tailored products and practices. 

Today, we proudly offer Enko Education’s exclusive career education and university guidance programme, “Knowledge for College”, with its  comprehensive structure for operations, reporting, support and professional development, both internally and externally. 

What is the counselling profession like in your region?  

University counselling practices in Africa are emerging and gradually becoming stronger, though there is still much to be accomplished. 

There are three key areas for improvement:

a)    Increase professional development opportunities for counsellors

b)    Enhance the understanding of importance of university counselling within school administrations

c)    Broaden students’ horizons regarding career perspectives and international study opportunities. 

While the process is in its early stages, there are strong indications of growth that will benefit the wider community. 

We have observed several individual initiatives aimed at creating professional networks and sharing resources and practices, which is a positive development. However, these efforts are currently insufficient to meet the growing needs and demands. It is crucial for school stakeholders to understand their mission extends beyond high school, as nurturing knowledgeable and skilled youth is directly linked to students’ success in higher education. 

I conduct many virtual workshops for local counsellors despite the lack of basic support as a reliable internet connection or a budget for professional development. We are committed to changing this. 

How can counsellors boost the profile of the profession within their region? 

University guidance counsellors can boost the profile of the profession within Africa through several key strategies. First, they should engage in continuous professional development to stay abreast of the latest trends and best practices in university guidance through participation in international conferences, webinars and workshops. 

Second, building strong networks and collaborations with other counsellors and educational institutions is essential. By sharing resources, success stories and best practices, counsellors can collectively enhance the profession’s visibility and credibility. 

Third, counsellors should advocate for the importance of university guidance within their schools and communities. This involves educating school administrations and parents about the critical role of guidance counselling in student success and higher education achievement. Effective communication of the value counsellors bring can lead to better support and investment in counselling services. 

Finally, leveraging technology and social media can significantly increase the reach and impact of university guidance counselling. Creating informative content, such as blogs, webinars and social media posts, can raise awareness about the profession and its benefits. Highlighting success stories of students who have benefited from counselling can also inspire and inform the wider community. 

What sort of trends are you seeing in counselling within your region? 

In our region, there is a significant demand for quality education at all levels and the financial support necessary to obtain it. The role of a counsellor has become increasingly complex owing to the expanding landscape of quality international education. For instance, Enko Education alumni are studying in 42 different countries, though there are dominant choices. When a student applies to universities in diverse locations such as Canada, France and South Korea, a counsellor must leverage their knowledge and contacts while also investing additional time to learn about new countries and institutions.

A counsellor’s primary goal is to help students find the best-fit institution, which means identifying a university that offers the desired courses, meets academic standards, fits within financial constraints, and is located in a country that is acceptable in terms of climate, distance, political stability, safety and other factors, including the absence of racial issues.

One effective strategy is to start working with students as early as possible, getting to know them well to become a trusted adviser. Utilising psychometric testing and related tools can be very beneficial. Additionally, the use of AI tools, when applied correctly, can significantly enhance the counselling process.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about joining the profession?

A counsellor should be someone who genuinely cares about students’ best interests, is motivated to help, is an avid learner, dynamic, energetic, possesses excellent communication skills, and is willing to go the extra mile for each student, finding immense satisfaction in these efforts.

If you see yourself in this description, start by joining professional counselling communities such as BMI/THE Counsellors’ Community. Attend webinars and in-person workshops, read extensively about child psychology, and stay updated with higher education news. Don’t be overwhelmed by the workload.

Focus on the most important priorities and allow yourself time to grow in the profession. Remember, we all started with the guidance of a single student and gradually developed our expertise.