ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION: QUALIFYING THE ACTORS - GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING Thematic Input for Workshop 3 Qualifying the Actors in adult and continuing education: trends and perspectives 3-5 May, Bonn, Germany By Dr John McCarthy International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy, Strasbourg, France

DEFINING GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING POLITICAL DEFINITION: a range of activities that enables citizens of any age and at any point in their lives to: Identify their capacities, competences and interests Make meaningful educational, training and occupational decisions Manage their individual life paths in learning, work or other settings in which these capacities and competences are learned and/or used Source: EU Council of Education Ministers Resolution on Lifelong Guidance (2004)

EXAMPLES OF GUIDANCE ACTIVITIES Information and advice giving Counselling Competence assessment Mentoring Advocacy Teaching decision-making and career management skills Source: EU Council of Ministers of Education Resolution on Lifelong Guidance (2004)

AIMS OF ADULT EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE TO ASSIST CITIZENS: TO REVIEW ALL OPTIONS AND TO IDENTIFY LEARNING/TRAINING OBJECTIVES TO COPE WITH THE VOCATIONAL AND PERSONAL IMPLICATIONS OF LEARNING/TRAINING TO MANAGE HER/HIS EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TO INTERRELATE THESE TO PROVIDE CITIZEN WITH CONTINUITY OF SUPPORT ACROSS SUBJECTS AND TUTORS/TRAINERS TO SUPPORT CITIZEN IN LONG-TERM PLANNING TO IDENTIFY AND VALIDATE THE COMPETENCES THEY HAVE ACQUIRED THROUGH NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING

THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF LIFELONG GUIDANCE PROVISION ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY OF INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING, LIFELONG LEARNING, AND HUMAN CAPITAL AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT A KEY INSTRUMENT FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND PROVISION OF LEARNING SUPPORT LEARNING AT ALL AGES AND IN A RANGE OF SETTINGS, EMPOWER CITIZENS TO MANAGE THEIR LEARNING AND WORK, PARTICULARLY MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM TO ACCESS AND PROGRESS THROUGH DIVERSE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND CAREER PATHWAYS ACHIEVEMENT OF EU PUBLIC POLICY GOALS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; LABOUR MARKET EFFCIENCY; OCCUPATIONAL AND GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY; SOCIAL INCLUSION; SOCIAL EQUITY; GENDER EQUALITY; AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP Source: Council of Education Ministers Resolution on Lifelong Guidance (2004)

NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN (2006) Lift barriers to participation Ensure the quality of adult learning Recognise and validate learning outcomes Invest in the ageing population and immigrants Be in a position to measure progress

THE REALITY OF GUIDANCE PROVISION FOR ADULTS Very few countries have guidance services for adults Where they exist, they are generally part of the service of the Public Employment Services, for unemployed persons, and with a focus on job placement Employed people are less likely to access such services Very little private sector provision (excluding recruitment and outplacement) Guidance provision in adult and continuing education largely unquantified Source: OECD, CEDEFOP, ETF and World Bank international reviews of policies for career guidance (from 2001 to present)

GOOD EXAMPLES OF ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE SERVICES LEARNDIRECT NATIONAL TELEPHONE HELPLINE SERVICES, UK ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE INITIATIVES, IRELAND, SLOVENIA CENTRES DU BILAN DES COMPETENCES, FRANCE AFPA, France TRADE UNION CONGRESS, UK RESPONSES OF INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS IN MANY COUNTRIES

RESEARCH RESULTS ON ADULT EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS GUIDANCE NEEDS 80% choose the course first, 20% the institution 60% wish for guidance both before and after making a choice 75% wish to have the option of a one to one delivery service 80% wish for a locally based guidance service 44% prefer weekday evening services and 24 % weekday morning services Source: Guidance in Adult and Continuing Education (Ireland) 1998

RESEARCH RESULTS ON ADULT EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS’ GUIDANCE NEEDS 60% willing to pay for such a service Information and counselling most important elements of guidance Clear information on course content/demands a priority element, with career destination information a second Source: Guidance in Adult and Continuing Education (Ireland) 1998

FEATURES OF GUIDANCE PROVISION IN ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION ROLE OF THE ADULT EDUCATION TUTOR (INFORMATION, ADVICE, STUDY SUPPORT, REFERRAL, ADVOCACY) ROLE OF ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE PRACTITIONER (ALL OF ABOVE PLUS COUNSELLING; ASSESSMENT; FOLLOW-UP; NETWORKING; TEACHING CAREER MANAGEMENT SKILLS; IDENTIFYING COMPETENCES ACQUIRED INFORMALLY) OVERLAPPING AND COMPLEMENTARY

ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE STAGES BEFORE ENTRY TO A COURSE/PROGRAMME ON COMMENCEMENT OF A COURSE/PROGRAMME DURING THE COURSE/PROGRAMME BEFORE COMPLETION OF A COURSE/PROGRAMME AFTER COMPLETION OF A COURSE/PROGRAMME

LEVELS OF ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE SERVICE SELF-HELP, LITTLE ASSISTANCE INITIAL CONSULTATION WITH A TRAINED ADVISOR – TO CLARIFY NEEDS, INDICATE APPROPRIATE PATHWAYS AND/OR REFERRAL>SOME ASSISTANCE MORE SPECIALISED SUPPORT – SUCH AS COUNSELLING (PERSONAL, EDUCATIONAL, CAREER) AND ASSESSMENT >INTENSIVE ASSISTANCE

EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004) Independence: respects the freedom of choice of the citizen Impartiality: the citizen’s interest is primary Confidentiality: citizen’s right to privacy Equal opportunities: in learning and work promoted Holistic: valuing of the personal, social,, cultural and economic context of a citizen’s decision-making IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004) Empowerment: teaching citizens to become competent at planning and managing their individual pathways and transitions Active involvement: guidance as a collaborative activity; co-construction IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004) Transparency: nature of the guidance service is immediately obvious to citizen Friendliness and empathy Continuity: support for citizens through a range of transitions across their lifespan Availability: any point in one’s life Accessibility: modes, times, locations Responsiveness: methods that address diversity of needs IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004) Appropriateness of methods: theoretical and/or scientific base, relevant for purpose Continuous improvement: regular feedback from citizens; continuous training for staff Right of redress: formal complaints procedure Competent staff: nationally accredited competences to address the citizen’s needs; also knows when to refer citizen for more appropriate help IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

EU COMMON REFERENCE POINTS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR GUIDANCE (2005) 5 categories of which practitioner competence is one: To possess the competence relevant to the guidance activity provided; To hold or to be working towards a relevant qualification to acquire the competences; Monitoring and inspection of work of guidance practitioner with a focus on outcomes of interventions On-going professional development Involvement of relevant stakeholders in the development of standards and QA procedures IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

KEY QUESTIONS FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS IN ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING? Which targeted training should be given to adult education tutors AND programme managers to support them in the guidance aspects of their work? How to construct national training and qualifications pathways to enable persons to progress in a learner friendly way from non-expert to expert guidance roles? And also to support differentiated staff roles with respect to guidance provision in a three level service approach? How can the validation of non-formal and informal learning national systems be used to place value on the experience and work of persons who have been providing guidance informally to adult education participants for many years?

KEY QUESTIONS FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS IN ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING? How can EU resolutions, tools and instruments be used at national and regional levels both to lobby for adequate adult education guidance provision and, To inform the content of training programmes for adult education guidance practitioners? How can adult education guidance best fit in a lifelong guidance system involving different providers working in partnership? How can an evidence base be developed to make the case for adult education guidance provision?

GOOD EXAMPLE OF TRAINING PROGRAMME (UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, SCOTLAND) ADULT GUIDANCE CERTIFICATE: MODULES: COUNSELLING AND INTERVIEW SKILLS INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER ASSISTED GUIDANCE GUIDANCE NETWORKS QUALITY ASSURANCE ORGANISATIONAL GUIDANCE POLICY

GOOD EXAMPLE OF TRAINING PROGRAMME (UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, SCOTLAND) DIPLOMA IN ADULT OF GUIDANCE: MODULES ACCREDITATION OF PRIOR AND WORK-BASED LEARNING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ETHNIC MINORITIES GUIDANCE, MARKETING AND CUSTOMER CARE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN ADULT GUIDANCE ONGOING GUIDANCE, TUTORING; AND LEARNING SUPPORT