Thematic Conference Youth-at-risk European Guidance ForumPotsdam, 11. – 13. May 2006

System of Career Guidance and Counselling in Germany

Dr. Bernhard Jenschke

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Education and Employment Area

Guidance in Education Area- Schools- Colleges- Universities- Further Education- Private Sector

Guidance in Employment Area

-Employment Agencies -Training Institutions

-Employers Association -Labour Unions -Municipalities

-Non-Profit Sector -Private Sector

Cooperative Career Education and Guidance

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Employment Area – Legislation

• Social Code III: legal responsibility for Career Guidance to the Federal Employment Agency (FEA) and its Local Employment Agencies (LEA)

VG for youth and adults, jobseekers, and special target groups

Placement Services for jobseekers, unemployed persons, youths and adults looking for jobs or in company training opportunities

• Monopoly of FES: Up to 1998

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Provision of Guidance and Counselling

Clients/Target Groups(LEA):• School leavers, students, graduates, young people

entering working life

• School drop-outs, socially disadvantaged• Migrant workers, young migrants 2nd/3rd generation• Handicapped and disabled

• Unemployed and adults looking for vocational reorientation or retraining

• Persons re-entering the labour market (women after baby pause etc.)

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Guidance for special target groups-at- risk

• Career Guidance and vocational rehabilitation for young disabled

• Career guidance , vocational preparation and training schemes for disadvantaged youth

• Career guidance and training schemes for migrants

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Providers of Career Guidance and Counselling

- Employment Area -

Local EmploymentAgency (FES)

(legal responsibility)

Enterprises

EmployersAssociations

Labour Unions

Municipalities

TrainingInstitutions

Private Career Counselling

Non ProfitOrganisations

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Cooperative Career Education and Guidance

Secondary School• Basic knowledge about

economy/world of work

• Basic career education

• Work shadowing

programmes

• Cooperative Projects

with local Enterprises

Employment Agency• Classes for career education

for all students• Career Information Centre-BIZ• Career Information System

(web based, print products)• Self assessment tools• Individual counselling in

school or labour agency• Placement Service for

training opportunities

Cooperative activities in Schools and Higher Education delivered by

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Guidance and Counselling Activities

Working Methods (LEA):• Class room lectures (compulsory in secondary school)• Group information sessions / Group counselling• Individual counselling by personal interviews• Profiling; Action plan for each client• Psychological testing and support by vocational psychologist • Medical Service in each local employment agency• Team counselling (together with psychologist, teacher etc.)• Self information (Career Information Centre BIZ)• Self assessment tools (“explorix”, “jobs and interest”)• Job Fairs, Recruiting Events, • Individual job/training placement• Individual coaching for job seekers (usually outsourced)

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Resources of Guidance and Counselling

Information Resources (FEA)

• Web career and labour market information system by FEA

(www.arbeitsagentur.de)– Internet-Job-Machine– KURS (database for further training opportunities)– BERUFEnet (database for occupational information)– Labour Market Statistics– Access to external professional data bases

• Reports/analyses by the Institute for Labour Market Research of the FEA and Federal Training Institute BIBB

• Brochures/magazines by FES for different target groups

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Recent Changes for Unemployed

Changes in Vocational Counselling due to new Legislation: Social Code II (from January 2005)

• Merging of unemployment benefits and social assistance for claimants capable of work

• Restrictive rules for suitable job/training offers; cut of benefits

• Intensified coaching for claimants with multiple problems (ratio counsellor : client – 1 : 75)

• Case management • Youth under 25 getting benefits (or their families) are entitled

to a job or training offer within 3 months• If they refuse suitable work or training: complete cut of

benefits except accommodation and heating costs

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Career Guidance: Communication - networking

- Shared responsibility and networking for lifelong guidance -

Local EmploymentAgency

Enterprises

EmployersAssociations

Labour Unions

Municipalities

TrainingInstitutions

Private Career Counselling

Non ProfitOrganisations

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Cooperation of Career Guidance in Higher Education

College/University• General Students

Counselling Service

• Course of Study

Counselling Service

• Career Service, including

– Work preparatory and

shadowing programmes

– Cooperative Projects

with local Enterprises

Employment Agency• Specialized Higher Education

Team (individual guidance and placement service)

• Seminars/Workshops/Lectures (academic labour market, self marketing, drop-out etc.)

• Work preparatory and shadowing programmes

• Job Fairs, Recruiting Events• Career Information System

Guidance activities in Higher Education delivered by

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Training of Career Counsellors

• No legal regulation (except school counsellors)• No nationwide standards or guidelines for qualification• Initiatives of commonly shared standards by Counsellors

Association dvb• FES University of Applied Sciences Mannheim offers a

diploma in career counselling • Some Applied Universities and Universities Dresden and

Heidelberg started master’s programmes for Career Counselling

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Standards of Guidance and Counselling delivery

Standards/Models of Activities (FEA):• AIOSP – Ethical Standards are agreed• Common curriculum and compendium on

counselling methods assures counselling competences (“RAT”)

• Profiling, Action Plan for each Client• Labour market counselling for Employers• Quality Management by quantitative indicators on

integration into labour market• Surveys on customer satisfaction

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in Germany

in Germany

System of Vocational Guidance and Counselling

Needs, Tendencies, Directions of Change

Professional View• Common standards for

professional guidance delivery and ethical standards

• Common standards for education and training

• Minimum quality assurance standards

• Research on the effects and outcomes of guidance activities

• Networking: National Forum• Meeting future needs of

- human resource development- lifelong learning, - sustaining employability and- avoiding social exclusion

Organisational View (FES)• Recent labour market reforms

focussing on key tasks of FES: - placement services, - reducing unemployment and- unemployment costs- “empowering and sanctioning” - strategies for claimants

• Shift of resources from contribution financed to tax financed counselling services

• Decentralisation of responsibility to local employment agencies