1. Adult Educational Guidance Initiative (AEGI)
Jennifer McKenzie
National Co-ordinator
AEGI
National Centre for Guidance in Education
Good Afternoon
Thanks to Sile for inviting me her today……………..You will have heard from my colelague Eileen earlier..
Just a short background on myself, until October 06 , I was the Guidance Co-ordinator of an AEGI service in Dublin’s Inner City.
I moved to the position of National Co-ordinator in November 06 with the NCGE , which is an agency of the Dept of education & Science

2. Adult Educational Guidance Initiative – Historic Context
NCGE report ‘Guidance in Adult and Continuing Education’ (1998)
Green Paper on Adult Education: Adult Education in an Era of Lifelong Learning (1998)
White Paper on Adult Education: Learning for Life (2000)
1998 NCGE need for a guidance service – made recommendations / underpinning principles / UK models of good practice
2000 White paper - phase 1 aimed at supporting participants in VTOS literacy and community education programmes
White paper outlined proposals for a National adult guidance and counselling service – which would include “ personal education and career guidance and will cover the pre-entry, entry, on-going and pre-exit stages…”
Era of lifelong learning – life long and life wide guidance

3. Future Clients of Education Finance Board
AEGI
Department of Education and Science White Paper 2000
“Learning for Life – White Paper on Adult Education”
NDP
Phased introduction of AEGI Pilot projects
Target Groups
LITERACY
COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
VTOS
AEGI
The Dept White Paper on Adult education recognised the need and proposed the setting up of a National Adult guidance counselling service.
Funded Under the National Development Plan 2000 – 2006 , the AEGI was introduced…….
Phased introduction of Pilot projects, aimed at the specific target groups ie clients enrolled in - VTOS, Literacy, Community Education . IN 2006, those adults who identified as former residents of institutions and their adult family members are also entitled to access the services.
VTOS – Vocational Training opportunity scheme – for long term unemployed adults with less than Leaving Cert education to return to full time education to gain qualifications
Future Clients of Education Finance Board

4. AEGI Priority Target Groups
Literacy
1-1’s, groups, FETAC groups, Junior / Leaving Cert, Computers etc
VTOS
Core / dispersed, return to education
Groups / FETAC accredited courses etc
Adult Community Education
Accredited / non accredited / BTEI / VEC / Non VEC
Former residents of Institutions
Clients and their adult family members – Education Finance Board
Literacy – 1-1 students, group students, FETAC students, Junior Cert, Leaving Cert students, Computers
In 2006, the Skillvac programme was introduced within the VEC’s – this is a HSE programme – for their employees.

5. Achievements along the way
White Paper
Staff Circulars
Additional client Group - EFB
BTEI –Community Education
Development of Database
As you are aware, AEGIs set up on the basis of the recommendations in the White Paper…..Learning For Life – Adult Education 2000.
Important to remember in discussing the Ethos / developments etc – where we started from – essentiallu a green filed site in formalised guidance provision to adults in education
To provide educational guidance to Adult learners in 3 main target groups
In the last 6 yrs achievements –
Formalise the job descriptions, salaries and conditions for the staff of AEGIs and to provide a framework for the structure of the services. Circulars 70/04 and 0015/07 give the details outlining the roles of the Guidance Co-ordinator, Guidance Counsellor & Information Officer .
Database – there is sophisticated database available to AEGIs, to record their client & group contact and AEGI work. Additional facilities being added to this. - eg ability to send clients a text reminder…….. This has included real-time access for AEGIs , NCGE and DES to the data, as relevant to their remit. It has also included data on client progression rates, online booking of training courses and exchange of good practice.
There has been 1 additional client group – EFB – not as a target group – but eligible to access the services
Increase in BTEI numbers nationally within Community Education
Research – Issues emerging
National Guidance Forum

6. NDP 2007 -2013 Social Inclusion Priority
AEGI
39 Services Nationally
NDP Social Inclusion Priority
2007 €1 million extra funding
Additional 2 services
Additional Guidance Counsellor into 12 existing services
To date, the AEGI developed on pilot basis around the country,
We currently have 39 services fully operational nationally
In 2007, DES Extra funding - €1 million announced to expand the AEGI .
Envisaged 2 new services , to ensure national coverage 1 new service in Co Waterford - new staff started in Nov – welcome John….
Co Louth currently recruiting will have 41 services
Also funding allocated to 12 existing services to employ and additional AD Ed guidance Counsellor
From 2000 – 2006, due to identification of adult guidance work and models of best practice, DES confirmed the staffing structure and roles within the AEGI services - Guidance Co-ordinator - guidance counsellor with additional duties of day-to day co-ordination of service and report to management
Guidance counsellor – provision of guidance to 1-1s and groups
Information Officer – up date and provision of information to general public queries, updating guidance staff on info and general admin duties for the services

7. AEGI Services AEGI Advisory Group 2007- 2013 External Evaluator
The National Advisory group of the AEGI meets 3 times year,
The Advisory group sets the vision for the development of the AEGI, and meets to review reports, make recommendations to the Dept.
An external evaluator was contracted 2000 – 2006, to evaluate the services as they developed and make report & recommendations to
the DES / NCGE
Listing the stakeholders…Representatives from National bodies / agencies at the table …
Local employment services
FAS
Adult Education Officers
VtOS National Co-ordinator
National Adult literacy agency
Education finance board
IGC
IVEA – reporesenting the VECs
IBEC –
Access officers
AEGA – staff representative
AONTAS – adult / community education association
NCGE & DES
By inviting the many diverse groups represented at the national table, with a specific in iterest in adult guidance and the needs of the client……..AEGI remains an impartial service. Although the services / staff are employed by the VECs & WIT, the information and guidance provided is on ALL adult education opportunities….not just those within the VEC / IT system

8. Department of Education & Science
NCGE Role
Department of Education & Science
AEGI
Guidance Officer
Guidance Officer works with National Co-ordinator on all range of projects within the above
NCGE Director
Convenes and Chair National Advisory group on behalf of DES
Development
Monitoring/Reporting
NATIONAL
COORDINATOR
NCGE
In service training
Service Visits
National Advisory Group
Technical Support
The role of the NCGE is to monitor and evaluate the service, provide technical support and development,
identify and share best practice and provide in-service training for AEGI staff.
Within the NCGE National Co-ordinator and the Guidance officer work on all of the above on behalf of the Dept of Education & Science
Co-ordination of development
Co-ordination of monitoring and reporting of AEGI activities
Identify and make provision for Staff development, support & in-service training programme
Co-ordination of Service visits and evaluations
Report to National Advisory group
Provision of technical support
Inform DES policy and strategy development
Set up & chair sub committees to advise and implement strategies
Member of other national advisory groups

9. Aims of AEGI services
To provide adult educational guidance, to support participants in 4 priority target groups
To develop and document models of good practice
To address gaps in the provision of adult educational guidance
To build local capacity, to develop support structures and to encourage local partnerships

10. Ethos of the AEGI Service
The Service is underpinned by principles which are central to the work of AEGI pilot projects:
learner/client centredness
confidentiality
impartiality
equal opportunities
accessibility
transparency
empowerment

11. Models of Adult Guidance
Confidential
Outreach
Flexible
Accessible
Adult friendly
Innovative approaches
Client –specific models of guidance
“Non-traditional”

12. Models of Practice
Literacy – evening work, awareness raising, appropriate to students level and skills, scheduled not “add- on”
VTOS – integrated, scheduled into weekly timetable, access to students
Adult community education - outreach, appropriate,
Information Provision to target groups

13. AEGI developments 2007
AEGI and ITABE ( Intensive Tuition for adult basic education)
Guidelines for Guidance / Literacy
Integration into literacy programme from beginning
Guidelines for working with potential clients of Education Finance Board
AEGI handbook (Web Based resource)

14. AEGI developments 2007/8 contd….
Client satisfaction data requested by DES
Individual services have conducted feedback surveys
“Client Feedback Form” developed by Advisory group / NCGE / AEGA
Pilot January – June with 11 services, using database
Sept – Dec all AEGI services piloting “form
Review in Jan 08
Group feedback (2008)
Special Needs group feedback (2008)

15. Monitoring and Evaluation
National Advisory group –
External Evaluators involved since 2000, reporting to DES & National Advisory
AEGI Quarterly Reports to DES through NCGE
Quantitative & Qualitative Data

16. Quarterly Reports - Qualitative
DATA
Quarterly Reports - Qualitative
Gaps in learning provision
Barriers to progression for adults
Changing nature of client groups
Social inclusion needs identified
Contribute to local & national developments
Networking & Partnership at local and national level
Gender Equality
Use of ICT in Guidance
Development of best practice models of Guidance
to share with other services
While changes are evident in the individual - services report quarterly to the NCGE / DES on issues they identify for all their clients.
These reports provide us with vital information for further developments.
We have an online & live database system, confidential , developed specifically for NCGE by software company with and for AEGI ,
Qualitative info Quantitatvie info……………see the lists
From this information ….changes have occurred in structures to date, and plans inplace for further developments

17. Quarterly Reports - Qualitative
DATA
Quarterly Reports - Qualitative
Client Information
Details of Client /Group Meetings
Client / Group Category (by target group)
Client Education Level
Client Employment / Allowance details
Client Referral History
Client Analysis (additional client details)
Client Progression
Staff activities
Internal Meetings
External Meetings
General Public
Administration
Information Gathering

18. Change in Structures Changes in AEGI Qualitative Quantitative
Local & National Developments
Identify Best Practice Models
Recommendations to DES
Recommendations to Agencies
Career Structures for Adult Guidance Practitioners
Post Pilot Phase I -IV
Changes in
AEGI

19. Future of AEGI National Guidance Forum Quality Assurance
Forfás Future Skills Needs
Lisbon Agenda
Knowledge based economy
Future of Adult guidance in Ireland……………………
National Guidance Forum report launched on Friday 5th last……………have a few copies with me.
NGF outlines - Quality Framework, Competency Framework and structures for the future of life long guidance in Ireland from Cradle to grave.
This will impact further developments. We are currently piloting a client feedback system for 1-1 and group clients.
The Forfas Future skills needs report has outlined the need for up-skilling of our adult working population which will require a guidance input .
The Vision of the Lisbon Agenda – EU as a knowledge based economy by 2010, influences government policy on adult education provision ?????
As members of the European Life long Guidance Policy network, currently with observer status Ireland is connected to the developments in Life long guidance Europe wide…..
Considering that 7 years ago there was little or no formalised guidance provision specifically for adults in outside of that focusing on retrun to work , we have come a long way.
It is in both listening to the clients and the guidance practitioners on the ground, and taking on board the vision for guidance in europe that the appropriate changes and developments will happen over the next 7 years…..
EU Resolution on Guidance 2004
Client Feedback
European
Lifelong Guidance Policy Network

20. AEGI Contact Jennifer.mckenzie@ncge.ie Relevant Websites www.ncge.ie
I Have included my address if anyone wishes a copy of the presentation, also websites you may be interested in .
The national guidance forum report is available to down load , or if you would like a published copy I will take you name & details and forward copies to u.
Thank you!