SKILLS AND ATTITUDES OF THE EDUCATIONAL COUNSELOR IN TIMES OF NEW COMPETENCES

Abstract

This article analyzes and proposes a set of essential competences for educational counselors to effectively address contemporary challenges in work, social, and educational contexts. Based on a methodological approach grounded in bibliographic analysis and philosophical hermeneutics, the study examines reports from the World Economic Forum (2020, 2023) and the contributions of leading education experts such as Carl Rogers, Daniel Goleman, and Sir Ken Robinson. The research identifies key cognitive, socioemotional, technological, and collaborative skills as indispensable for the 21st-century educational counselor. It emphasizes that these professionals should not only foster the development of such competences in students but also integrate them into their own professional practice through continuous training and updating. In a context of rapid technological, economic, and social transformations, the educational counselor emerges as a strategic agent mediating between the technical demands of the labor market and the human needs for empathy, creativity, resilience, and critical thinking. The study also highlights the need to contextualize these competences for different realities, using as reference the prioritization of skills observed in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. By linking global trends to regional specificities, the study contributes to the design of integrated training programs that prepare educational counselors to promote inclusive, adaptive, and future-oriented education.