Small and regional campuses struggle to find teachers with specific career advice qualifications, the Victorian Association of State School Principals says.

"There are lots of very well-meaning people out there in schools doing a good job, but could they do a slightly better job if they had a bit more knowledge? Probably," association president Sue Bell told AAP on Monday outside a parliamentary inquiry into careers advice in schools.

"We want people who are qualified because to provide that advice, you need to understand the tertiary education sector - both universities and TAFE - you need to have an understanding of the individual courses or you could provide the wrong advice.

"Some schools - smaller schools, smaller metropolitan schools, regional schools, country schools - may have difficulties finding the right people."

Colin Axup, the principal of Suzanne Cory High School in Melbourne's west, said many schools may not be able to pay for their staff to complete a graduate certificate in career education, which costs about $5000.

"In a metropolitan school, in a good high-performing school, I had difficulty finding a person with the qualifications," he said.

"My solution was to advertise for a person who had an interest in it, and for us to pay for them to get the qualification.

"We're lucky I've got the budget to be able to do that, but I couldn't do that every time."

The parliamentary inquiry is due to report in September.