Developing Quality of Guidance and Counselling Services in Education in Finland IAEVG –conference October 19th 2011 Cape Town, South Africa Heli Piikkilä, City of Tampere Anu Turunen, City of Rovaniemi

Tampere Rovaniemi

Tampere Rovaniemi

Where is Finland???

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES IN FINLAND

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS VOCATIONAL COLLEGES POLYTECHNICS UNIVERSITIES EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICES Vocational guidance and career planning Educational and vocational information services Employment exchange services CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY CIMO Euroguidance Finland FINNISH GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SYSTEM

DOCUMENTS National level Acts of education (1999) The national curriculum guidelines (2004) Regional or local level Local curriculum Strategies Agreements and year plans Budgets Other documents related to guidance and counselling services, evaluation plan etc Organisational level School curriculum Year plan Other documents

 Education and training of guidance professionals  Strong research base  Support from the policy-makers  PES and school system complement each other CHARACTERISTICS OF FINNISH GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES

NATIONAL CURRICULUM GUIDELINES HOLISTIC APPROACH Pupils and students are entitled to have educational and vocational guidance during every working day at school. GOALS: supporting personal growth and development promoting the development of study skills and helping in learning difficulties counselling and guiding students in educational and vocational and professional orientation promoting students’ skills for planning and realising life long learning - skills to use different tools to search information

COUNSELLING PROCESS (Kasurinen 2005) CURRICULUM GUIDELINES:  psycho-social support  counselling of study skills and learning  career counselling 1919 Choices. decision making CO OPERATION WITH WORKING LIFE FOLLOW-UP INDIVIDUAL STUDY PATH Vocational school Upper secondary school TRANSITION TO WORK LIFE OR FURTHER EDUCATION TRANSITION TO FURTHER EDUCATION Flexible options Comprehensive education

DIRECT TRANSITION TO FURTHER STUDIES IN FINLAND 9TH GRADERS

DISCONTINUATION OF EDUCATION IN FINLAND 2000/2001 to 2008/2009

CONTINUATION AFTER UPPER GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION IN 2009 Total number of students FINLAND 17,7 % polytechnics 18,3 % university education 59 % did not continue directly in education 5 % upper secondary vocational education

CONTINUATION AFTER 9 YEARS OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN TAMPERE 2011 Total number of pupils (comprehensive school) ) 1934 (year 2010) 3,5 % optional 10th year 2 % 38 % upper secondary 41%vocational educ ,7 % upper secondary 50 %general education 0,3% did not continue 8 % directly in education 3% other education FINLAND 2009

I Developing feedback mechanisms for guidance provision in basic education Oporointi- pilot project Heli Piikkilä Guidance Counsellor Coordinator City of Tampere

Background Evaluation of Educational Guidance and Counselling in Finland in (Numminen & al 2002) Finnish National Board of Education uidance_and_counselling_in_finland Career guidance development project (FNBE) New national project for quality development of guidance and counselling in basic education

Documents Numminen et al 2002 FNBE

Time dimension - learning path Questions to promote the cycle of strategic learning Dimensions of guidance Policy dimension Contextual dimension Organizational dimension Responsibility dimension Division of labour dimension Content dimension Methodological dimension Strenghts Development needs Reformative activitiesFlexible activities Revision of the activities on the basis of client feedback Actions and continuous learning Analysis and evaluation Visios, strategies, development goals Communication and commitment Bottom up Top down Systemic levels of guidance I Public policies in guidance Strategic design and evaluation Services visible to clients II Guidance provision (I and II Theories related to organizational development, management, leadership, networks and systemic thinking) III Guidance services visible to clients (Theories of career development and guidance) A systemic model for interdisciplinary guidance networks (Nyk ä nen, Karjalainen, Vuorinen & P ö yli ö 2007)

Some Examples Questionnaires for students, parents, guidance counsellors, principals, decision makers They include questions about Necessity and access for guidance Facilities and resources for guidance Goals and aims of career guidance Coherence of guidance services within the school Individual learning programme Study skills of the pupils

Ability for further educational and career plans Client satisfaction of career guidance services Counsellors and principals: Meeting the guidance goals, co- operation with the labour market, professional competencies, prevention of social exclusion Parents/guardians : overall co-operation with school, tuition education, worries related to school etc. Some Examples (2)

Basic education 1-6 N Students453 girls 222 boys 249 Parents185 Teachers 25 Basic education 7-9 Students1235 girls 607 boys 620 Parents 339 Teachers 67 Guidance counsellors 38 Principals (both) 30 nnn Test results

Availability and effectiveness Boys Sixth graders Availability and effectiveness

Further Steps Comparing results between groups Comparing school results to local, regional and national database Comparing resources and availability + effectiveness input- output Sustainable development and evaluation of counselling services

Case Tampere Results Study in 2004 shows: Transition phases are key factors Individual counselling is valued by students Information of working life is needed Special emphasis on: - students who have mental problems - students who have different kinds of learning difficulties - immigrant students

Case Tampere Results (2) Discussions inside schools > transparency Discussions with practioners, principals, civil servants, policy makers, > decisions to improve the access to the services > administrational co-operative team for transition phase City level policy decisions New study in 2008 > new project

Case Tampere Results(3) Study in 2008 shows: Transition phases are still key factors Quality has improved when there are more professional counsellors (7 th and 8 th grades) Access to individual counselling has improved, average 256 pupils / counsellor Information of working life is still needed > special Opetet project to improve teachers knowledge about working life Regional website

II Improving the Guidance Services at High School/ General Upper Secondary School (16-19 years old students) pilot project Anu Turunen Coordinator Guidance Counsellor Rovaniemi

Background Funding by Ministry of Education and Culture 12 guidance and counseling projects in Finland organized by local school authorities The focus of the project is on the improvement of individual counseling Ministers emphasize this need of the counseling services An individual plan oriented to future studies and career path is made for every student. The aim is to create a collaboration model for high schools, polytechnics/universities, employment authorities and working life

Student counseling survey made by the Union of Finnish high school students More services of personal, individual guidance about future studies and the choice of the career is needed Students make their own choices but they need support Students think that by making choices they can improve study skills and control of life

Future studies and working life Co-operation between high schools and working life is minor compared to that of comprehensive schools and working life. Survey (2009) of the union shows that students want high schools to prepare them better for future working life. Working life experience period (TET), visitors from different professional backgrounds to classroom lessons Preparation provided by guidance counselors help students enter working life.

The purpose of the project Students should be able to consider different possibilities for their future and make individual plans. The plan will be started at the beginning of high school and will be supplemented throughout the studies. During high school studies the students search information for future possibilities and also learn about their own strengths and motivation.

Local pilot in Lapland - My own road- Fluently to future studies and career Associates : Kittilä (96 students), Ranua (69 students) and Rovaniemi (1652 students); total 1817 students

Background A lot of projects; Which are used? A lot of good practices; Does everyone know about them? Combining the results and their re-development How to bring information to schools about future studies and working life based on experience ? The wishes of the students?

The project goals Responding to an increasing need of career counseling –More individual guidance services Increasing students’ knowledge, based on the facts and their own experiences about future studies, working life and entrepreneurship Providing working life and entrepreneurship information in everyday practice at schools

Associates Regional State Administrative Agencies for Lapland Lapland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland Lapland Chamber of Commerce University of Lapland University of Applied Sciences Lapland entrepreneurs The Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students (SLL) Economic Information Office ( TAT) Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions(SAK) The Finnish Association for Guidance Counsellors

Means Different collaborative models (web, visitors, workplace visits, study excursions) Improvement of counseling skills in entire school community Improvement of counseling skills of counselors; e.g a small group counseling Electronic portfolios and different platforms

THE PLAN INTERACTIVE PLAN FOR FURTHER STUDIES AND CAREER Electronic portfolios and different platforms GROUP ADVISERS UPDATING MAP FOR GROUP ADVISERS GROUP ADVISER TRAINING UPDATING NEW TASKS GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS GUIDANCE TRAINING INCLUDING COUNSELLING METHODS, UPDATED INFORMATION OF FURTHER STUDIES AND WORKING LIFE UPDATING PLAN OF CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING AT SCHOOL FURTHER EDUCATION EXCURSION TO THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS VISITORS FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AT SCHOOL TUTORS FROM FURTHER STUDIES SUBJECT TEACHERS PROVIDING INFORMATION OF WORKING LIFE AND ENTREPREUNERSHIP TEACHERS’ TET VISITORS FROM DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS ON LESSONS WORKING LIFE COLLABORATIONS PLANNED TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SPECIALIST VISITS FROM WORKING LIFE AT SCHOOL WORKING LIFE SKILLS ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS WORKING LIFE DAYS AT SCHOOL DEVELOPING WELL-BEING

Results Strengthening capabilities for further studies, working life and career Electronic career plan is used Collaboration with other actors are systematic and continuous Whole school supports the students’ career choices in cooperation with other actors

Strategic plans into action Systematic cross-sectoral activities Sustainable evidence base for policy development Regional co-operation National quality development Training for practioners Balance between formal and non-formal guidance nnn Key Challenges

Information and communication networks will become more important Significance of guidance and counselling will grow Common challenges in all countries Ways and methods to give guidance and counselling will become more varied nnn What lies ahead?

Contact information Anu Turunen Maarit Laaksonen nnn Thank you!