The role of guidance in the support of active inclusion for all ” “Social justice. The role of guidance in the support of active inclusion for all ” National Forum on Guidance Wednesday 18th October 2017 Jennifer McKenzie Director NCGE

Definitions of Guidance National Guidance Forum (2007) “Guidance facilitates people throughout their lives to manage their own educational, training, occupational, personal, social, and life choices so that they reach their full potential and contribute to the development of a better society” EU Council Resolutions (2004 & 2008) “..the definition of guidance …as referring to a continuous process that enables citizens at any age and at any point in their lives to identify their capacities, competences and interests, to make educational, training and occupational decisions and to manage their individual life paths in learning, work and other settings in which those capacities and competences are learned and/or used..” While I am very aware that many of the participants in the room today are guidance counsellors or guidance practitioners, we have wider stakeholder group represented here to day. In reality, much of the work in the education, training and labour market sectors is focusing on ensuring that those who are or have been disadvantaged are provided with the supports they need to achieve their goals . In Ireland, across the sector, we use different language to describe what we do – Careers Advice, Employment Supports, Career Guidance, Guidance Counselling

Role and Activities of guidance service provision DES Programme Recognition Framework ( 2016) •Designing, delivering and evaluating guidance learning and developmental programmes •Providing individual and group counselling to facilitate personal and social, educational and career development and at moments of personal crisis •Providing labour market, learning and career-related information through Information and •Communications Technology (ICT) and blended learning approaches •Planning and organising workplace learning and establishing links with the wider business community, agencies and voluntary sector •Using psychometric tests to facilitate career decision-making and personal development •Referring students and service users to external agencies and professionals, as appropriate

What is Quality Guidance? Where the client / student / person is at Personal / social / careers / educational choices and outcomes Informed / know where & how to access the information Impartial / Unbiased Accountable Co-ordinated / Integrated Advocacy Practitioner Competence Citizen/User Involvement Service Provision and Improvement Cost benefits Individuals. Cost benefits to Governments ELGPN ( 2015) Facilitate the individual to make his / her own life choices & develop his / her career decision making skills

“ The right to Guidance – Social Justice Challenge” Today’s agenda Professor Ronald Sultana, University of Malta “ The right to Guidance – Social Justice Challenge” Group discussions Andrew Brownlee , Executive Director – Strategy and Knowledge, SOLAS “The role of guidance in developing effective learner pathways, into, within and from further education and training” Q & A

All presentations and a summary of discussions will be posted to: https://www.ncge.ie/national-forum-guidance by mid December 2018

Jennifer McKenzie, Director NCGE Thank You Go raibh maith agaibh Jennifer McKenzie, Director NCGE jennifer.mckenzie@ncge.ie