Fourth ECA Education Conference onMISSING THE LINK – RETHINKING THE ROLE OF TECHNICAL

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATIONTirana, Albania 24-26 October 2007

PARALLEL SESSION 1 C (25 Oct 2007)

FROM SCHOOL TO WORKING LIFE –

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING MAKING TRANSITIONS WORK

CHAIR: Mr Mika Launikari

Lifelong Guidance Project Manager

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Cedefop

Email mika.launikari@cedefop.europa.euTel. +30-2310-490104

FROM SCHOOL TO WORKING LIFE – GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING MAKING TRANSITIONS WORK

• Outlining recent lifelong guidance policy and strategy developments in the European Union/ at the European level (Mr Mika Launikari)

• Presenting guidance and counselling service provision development in a transition country: case from Kosovo (Ms Lumnie Mehmetaj)

• Exchanging expertise, experiences and insights across sectors and countries (Discussion)

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

CEDEFOP

Cedefop works to promote a European area of lifelong learning throughout an enlarged EU. It does this by providing information on and analyses of vocational education and training systems, policies, research and practice. Cedefop's tasks are to

• compile selected documentation and analyses of data; • contribute to developing and coordinating research; • exploit and disseminate information; • encourage joint approaches to vocational education and training

problems; • provide a forum for debate and exchanges of ideas.

More information at http://cedefop.europa.eu/

EUROPEAN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING CAREER GUIDANCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS: POLICY FRAMEWORK

• A key objective of the Lisbon strategy 2010 and the European vocational education and training policy is to ensure that the education and training system provides young people with the skills they need to be employable throughout their working life.

• The revised Lisbon Strategy focussing on growth and jobs recognises that integrating young people in society and working life, and making better use of their potential, are essential for ensuring a return to sustained and sustainable growth in Europe.

• EU Communication (5.9.2007, 498 final) stresses that young people should be provided with tailored guidance and counselling for choosing a suitable education pathway leading to labour market qualification hence reducing the mismatch between education outcomes and labour market requirements.

EUROPEAN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING CAREER GUIDANCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS: POLICY FRAMEWORK

EUROPEAN POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR LIFELONG GUIDANCE• Member States´ Lifelong learning strategies • European Social Partners´ Lifelong development of competencies and

qualifications framework (2002)• Copenhagen Declaration (2002)• Maastricht Communiqué (2004)• Helsinki Communiqué (2006)• Resolution on Strengthening Policies, Systems and Practices in the field

of Guidance throughout life in Europe (2004)• European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (2007) • Guidelines for the Employment Policies of the Member States (2007)• European Social Fund regulation (2007-2013) as part of the European

Employment Strategy

EUROPEAN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING CAREER GUIDANCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS: CHALLENGES

• The unemployment rate for under-25s was 15,9 % in the EU27 compared to 5,8 % for those who are 25 years and over (May 2007).

• Euro-Indicators news release July 2007: the lowest rates for under-25s were observed in the Netherlands (5,7 %), Denmark (6,4 %) and Ireland (7,7 %), whereas the highest in Greece (24,6 %), Poland (22,1 %), France and Romania (both 21,9 %)

• The duration of and reasons for youth unemployment across European countries differ by several factors: gender, level of education, social and ethnic background, region, etc.

• Initiatives: geographic mobility support, internships with a strong link to training or study curriculum, increased flexicurity, youth activation programmes, etc.

CEDEFOP´S SCIENTIFIC WORK ON DEVELOPING GUIDANCE

• Support European policy development and analysis as well as elaborate policy principles and toolsE.g. Europe and the Shift Towards Lifelong Learning (2007)

• Stimulate reforms through reviewing progress made and good practices established in Member StatesE.g. Guidance for Workforce Development (2007), Evidence-based policy making in guidance – Increasing the voice of young adults in developing education-to-work transitions (2007)

• Promote quality and efficiency of as well as access to guidance servicesE.g. Handbook on National Guidance Fora (2008), Study on guidance counsellor competences and qualifications (2008)

QUESTIONS AND ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED

- Do policies/strategies for lifelong guidance exist at national level in ECA countries? Any special policy tools for supporting the labour market entry of young people?

- Whose responsibility is to provide guidance services? Public or private services – or both? Do young people have easy access to existing career guidance services?

- Do competence standards exist for staff who provide information, guidance and counselling? Training for them?

- Are there partnerships between educational institutions, social partners, employers, employment services, guidance providers, etc. for supporting young people´s transition from school to working life?

- Evaluation of guidance services? Ongoing research?