Career Guidance in Estonia Margit Rammo April 19th, 2010

Content Background Service provision, structures and concept Qualification and training Quality assurance Supporting materials Cooperation mechanisms and NRCG

3 Republic of Estonia Living in this area since 2500 B.C; Strategic location as a link between East and West; Through the ages several kings and conquerors - Germans, Danes, Swedes, Poles and Russians; By 1285, Tallinn was part of the Hanseatic League; In the late 19th century - nationalist movement; 24 February 1918, Estonia declared its independence; forcibly annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940; 1991 Estonians again reasserted their independence; Population: ~1,3 million, ~ 1/3 in Tallinn Language: Estonian Land area: sq km 15 regions / counties; 226 local governments

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5 Background of Guidance in Estonia Practised since 1920s (during the first period of independence) Strongly influenced by the political situation Closely related to psychology Gap in the systematic development between 1993 and 1998 Revival in 1998/1999 (establishment of National Resource Centre for Guidance; regional network)

Career Guidance Structure Ministry of Education and Research Young people (7-26) Youth Work Act, Education Act Private sector: mainly personnel recruitment and mediation services to companies, also through human resource management Ministry of Social Affairs ( Un)employed and official job seekers Labour Market Services Act

Guidance in the Education Sector Part of youth work Youth Information and Counselling Centres YICC (17; 60) Open Youth Centres as a network of extended access Youth information fairs, Signpost, Intellektika etc. Part of formal education Cross-curricular theme Professional career and its development (NEWS) Class teacher tutorials Elective course Career co-ordinators at general education and VET schools (26+7) University career services (50)

Guidance in the Employment Sector Unemployment Insurance Fund Regional employment offices 13 labour market measures, incl career counselling NEW 2009: career information points Unemployment –Less than 25 years: 27,5% (Eurostat) –Between 25 and 75 years: 12% (Eurostat) – (14,4%) registered unemployed (National Unemployment Insurance Fund)

9 Career Services Concept In Estonia we have developed a concept of three guidance services within career guidance system: Career education to help young people raise their self-awareness and the understanding of the opportunity structure (learning and work), and acquire skills and attitudes to enter and succeed in the modern world of work Career information to provide well-structured information about education, labour market and professions, and links between them Career counselling to support people in making and implementing informed career decisions

Professional qualifications system Qualification Authority facilitates the establishment and development of an integrated and organized professional qualifications system five levels determine requirements for professional qualifications professional standard - a document, which establishes the requirements on knowledge, skills, experience, values and personal characteristics necessary for the professional qualification

11 Award of professional qualifications Since 2005 there are 3 professional standards: –Career counsellors; –Career co-ordinators at schools; –Career information specialists. Background - psychology, youth work, teacher training or social work. Specialists who have worked for 3-5 years have the right to acquire a professional qualification. Society of Estonian Career Counsellors - authorized organization for accreditation of career counsellors. Professional certificate – present documents verifying the skills, knowledge and experience and/or to take an exam

Training Regular accredited basic training unavailable yet A variety of short and long-term courses –Basic training by three universities (9EAP) –N.Amundson Active engagement –information retrieval skills, trends in economy and employment, solution oriented counselling, crises psychology etc. –European study-visits Academia –Innovative guidance methods to support mobility 12

13 Quality Assurance Several tools are implemented to assure the quality of career services: –National Curriculum; –Service and professional standards; guidelines; –Evidence collection: client’s satisfaction surveys, reports, feedback sheets etc. –Mentoring scheme; –Ethic guidelines (IAEVG) Future step: production of quality handbook (service provision, system development) Continues quality improvement as principle serves the needs

Support materials Teacher books Handbooks for counsellors Information materials Promotional materials Career planning website Pathfinder –Youngster, adult, practitioner Learning opportunities in Europe, PLOTEUS Euroguidance network

15 Agreement between two ministries In 2008, contractual agreement to develop career services was signed between the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Social Affairs stating the areas of responsibility in providing high quality career services to the whole population.

Development areas until 2013 Development of methodology; Development of training system; Wider range of service provision; Development of quality assurance; Co-operation between different parties. 16

17 Promoter, coordinator NRCG has become the main partner of the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Social Affairs in developing career services system. ESF programm Development of Career Services in Estonia

Foundation for Lifelong Learning Development Innove ReferNet EU Structural Funds Unit Project Development and Implementation Unit National Resource Centre for Guidance including Euroguidance Estonia Financing and Administration

19 National Resource Centre for Guidance Founded by the Ministry of Education and Research in 1998 Main aim – to support guidance practitioners in promoting mobility and the European dimension within education and training and in the field of guidance. Main target group – guidance practitioners Main activities – producing different information and methodological materials (printed and electronic versions), organising seminars and trainings, developing web sites, quality assurance,

National Career Guidance Forum Establishment in December 2008 Stakeholders (18) incl. ministries (3), employer, service provider representatives, end-user representatives, Unemployment Insurance Fund, Youth Work Centre, Innove / NRCG Themes 2009: terminology, awareness raising, career education in schools, career information provision (labour market), services for adults Themes 2010: sustainability, awareness raising, career information provision (labour market)

21 Thank you! More information: Margit Rammo National Resource Centre for Guidance Head of Unit