1. 1 Guidance Theories in Real Life… Kai Koivumäki kai.koivumaki@tem.fi Jyväskylä 10.9.2009

2. 2 CAREERS AND VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRIAL WORKLIFE A) Relationship to work: permanent jobs, static, vocational/professional development straight forward: PHASE, CLEARNESS, LONG WORK HISTORIES, SAME EMPLOYER POST INDUSTRIAL WORKLIFE SECOND MODERN B) Relationship to work: flexible, continuous prosessional development, not straight forward; development is continuousdiscontinuous progressivestopping rationalirrational harmoniousunexpected FROM CLEAR CAREER TO RISK MANAGEMENT, MISTINESS and INDIVIDUAL PATHS ?

3. 3 What is counselling? Counselling is the skilled and principled use of relationships which develop self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and growth, and personal resources. The overall aim is to live more fully and satisfyingly. Counselling may be concerned with addressing and resolving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crises, developing personal insight and knowledge, working through feelings and inner conflicts, or improving relationship with others. The counsellor’s role is to facilitate the client’s work in ways that respect the client’s values, personal resources, and capacity for choice within his or hers cultural context.” (British Association for Counselling)

4. 4 Constructivist counselling Sartre: ”A man is always a teller of tales; he lives surrounded by his stories and the stories of others; he sees everything that happens to him through them, and he tries to live his life as if he were recounting them” Discursive psychology (and sociology): How talking and texts are constructed? What kind of meaning we give to things?

5. 5 Some constructivists George H. Mead: self arises out of symbolic, linguistic interaction George H. Mead: self arises out of symbolic, linguistic interaction Lev Vygotsky: co-constructivism, learning by doing Lev Vygotsky: co-constructivism, learning by doing John Dewey: meaning of experiences John Dewey: meaning of experiences Alasdair McIntyre: narratives shape people´s action Alasdair McIntyre: narratives shape people´s action Mary Catherine Bateson: improvisation, living in uncertainty Mary Catherine Bateson: improvisation, living in uncertainty Michael Bakhtin: life as ”self-authored” process Michael Bakhtin: life as ”self-authored” process

6. 6 Social Identity Theory (Tajfel&Turner) Identity is socially constructed through: Categorisation: characteristic to human beings > class, gender, race, community, nationality, profession, football club etc. Categorisation: characteristic to human beings > class, gender, race, community, nationality, profession, football club etc. Identification: categories include a value system in which we identify ourselves > defines people´s position and and status Identification: categories include a value system in which we identify ourselves > defines people´s position and and status Social comparison: tendency to feel well of OUR group also includes feeling well of ME > self-esteem is connected to the group Social comparison: tendency to feel well of OUR group also includes feeling well of ME > self-esteem is connected to the group Developmental process > adults should learn relativism!

7. 7 Identity Development Cultural, ethnic, professional and gender identity is a complex construction of: Identity is political: you internalize the negative ”pictures” as objectively true > you create easily a negative identity; individual identity as a ”mirror” of the society Identity construction is a mutual, active process between the individual and the reference group Individual Dimension: -physics, family, local etc. charasteristics Social Dimension: -regional, national charasteristics Global Dimension: -western, oriental, -traditionnal, - modernistic etc. characteristic

8. 8 Values are the ground for our identity Gender Gender Family identification Family identification Nationality, ethnicity Nationality, ethnicity Time Time Age Age Tradition Tradition Authority Authority Spirituality and religion Spirituality and religion

9. 9 Can counselling and education/training support and help to create positive identities in professional and cultural transitions?

10. 10 Counselling/education as support to a persons identity Vision = What would I like to become? Membership in groups/ society = Where do I belong? Knowledge and information; - What do I know? Everyday practices = What do I do? Etienne Wenger: Communities of Practice

11. 11 KK/TM11 Training/education Learning in group; based on certain, often given, goals and targets; group dynamics as identity builder Guidance/counselling Dialogic communication, which supports life quality and problemsolving skills; psychological level: values, beliefs, feelings etc. Advice Giving concrete advice to concrete questions Information Not necessarily face to face contact; internet etc. Action based methods Work try outs, training try outs, learning at the workplace, apprenticeship etc;

12. 12 Counselling as ”identity negotiation” To study together with the client in a co- constructive process: To study together with the client in a co- constructive process: beliefs, experiences, feelings, motivation, goals, meanings in relation to cultural values beliefs, experiences, feelings, motivation, goals, meanings in relation to cultural values What is my relation to: work, learning, spirituality, world view, health, creativity, recreation, relationships etc?

13. 13 Some sociodynamic methods Discussion, interview Discussion, interview Life space, visualising, other mappings Life space, visualising, other mappings Drawing the line of my life Drawing the line of my life Life as a book, chapters of my life Life as a book, chapters of my life Psycho- and sociodrama Psycho- and sociodrama House of voices House of voices Metaphors Metaphors My possible futures My possible futures

14. 14 How can we support and develop the global/international/”mobile” dimension? Making unconscious conscious: visualising methods Making unconscious conscious: visualising methods Three stages: 1) ”Seems ok” 2) ”There is something wrong” 3) ”Help is needed at once” Three stages: 1) ”Seems ok” 2) ”There is something wrong” 3) ”Help is needed at once” Opening views and perspectives Opening views and perspectives Identities can be tested and ”played with” in a creative way > being abroad can teach a lot about yourself and others Identities can be tested and ”played with” in a creative way > being abroad can teach a lot about yourself and others Excercises: www.maailmalle.net Excercises: www.maailmalle.netwww.maailmalle.net Cognitive methods: to test certain thoughts and attitudes? Cognitive methods: to test certain thoughts and attitudes? What else? New creative methods? What else? New creative methods?

15. 15 Counsellor´s competences and skills

16. 16 Nordic report on working life knowledge www.nordvux.netwww.nordvux.net > NVL:s rapporter www.nordvux.net What did we do? Compared and discussed the counselling systems Compared and discussed the counselling systems Defined working life knowledge Defined working life knowledge Compared counsellor training systems Compared counsellor training systems Discussed nationally with adult counsellors in all countries: their experiences and needs Discussed nationally with adult counsellors in all countries: their experiences and needs Discussed the results Discussed the results

17. 17 Counsellor´s competences Core competence – basic skills and knowledge that are common for all counsellors: ex. theoretical approaches, communication skills, methods etc. Core competence – basic skills and knowledge that are common for all counsellors: ex. theoretical approaches, communication skills, methods etc. Special competences – ex. working life knowledge and skills, international mobility knowledge and skills etc? Special competences – ex. working life knowledge and skills, international mobility knowledge and skills etc?

18. 18 Counsellor´s competences A grown up individual IS his/her experiences and in counselling his/her inner potential, hidden resources and capacity are made visible A grown up individual IS his/her experiences and in counselling his/her inner potential, hidden resources and capacity are made visible Counsellor helps the client to match together his/her potential and competences with labour market and education (short and long term) > working life knowledge is necessary for the counsellor and the client Counsellor helps the client to match together his/her potential and competences with labour market and education (short and long term) > working life knowledge is necessary for the counsellor and the client

19. 19 What is working life knowledge? Supply and demand of labour Supply and demand of labour Different professions and tasks; how they develope, arise and disappear Different professions and tasks; how they develope, arise and disappear Situation at work places with respect to salaries and required skills Situation at work places with respect to salaries and required skills Legal framework Legal framework How to seek information How to seek information Competence development; at home and abroad Competence development; at home and abroad Link between competence development and work Link between competence development and work CVs and application for work CVs and application for work Recruitment Recruitment Demographic development Demographic development Organisation and structure of labour market Organisation and structure of labour market Dynamics of transition in labour market Dynamics of transition in labour market

20. 20 Adult Guidance and Counselling in the Nordic countries There are some kind of guidance services in every country but they vary a lot There are some kind of guidance services in every country but they vary a lot Main responsibility either on official education or labour administration: job centres, employment offices, guidance centres, adult education and training, learning centres, labour market organisations etc. Main responsibility either on official education or labour administration: job centres, employment offices, guidance centres, adult education and training, learning centres, labour market organisations etc. There are also some private guidance organisations There are also some private guidance organisations www-services www-services

21. 21 Counsellor training There is master´s level training since 2008 in all Nordic countries: from whole 5-6 year programmes to one year specialisation programmes There is master´s level training since 2008 in all Nordic countries: from whole 5-6 year programmes to one year specialisation programmes Training often connected to teacher training and pedagogy, Finland has long tradition in psychological counselling Training often connected to teacher training and pedagogy, Finland has long tradition in psychological counselling

22. 22 Observations about working life knowledge in training Variation concerning working life knowledge in training: quantity and quality varies Variation concerning working life knowledge in training: quantity and quality varies Lack of definition – what is working life knowledge? Lack of definition – what is working life knowledge? Unsystematically organised Unsystematically organised Voluntary in many programmes; if you are interested! Voluntary in many programmes; if you are interested!

23. 23 Observations about working life knowledge in practice Different clients, different needs: - Adults changing work (voluntary or forced) - Career development and life quality - Unemployed - Highly educated, academics - Immigrants

24. 24 Observations in practice (cont.) Dilemma to combine the interests of individual and society: labour shortage as base or self fulfilment? Dilemma to combine the interests of individual and society: labour shortage as base or self fulfilment? Information about shortage > < labour market information If counsellor does not have the basic information, difficult to update If counsellor does not have the basic information, difficult to update Lot of information, but incomprehensible Lot of information, but incomprehensible Counsellors work isolated in their own sectors: information needed in all sectors! Counsellors work isolated in their own sectors: information needed in all sectors!

25. 25 What kind of knowledge is needed: - General development of the economy and within branches, future needs etc. - Employment process (CVs, applications etc.) - Career building; connection between education and work - Validation and qualifications; real, formal and informal competences - Business administration, HRD - Starting up business - Legal framework of labour market Observations in practice (cont.)

26. 26 Recommendations To develop understanding of the relation between education and work To develop understanding of the relation between education and work Systematic information gathering (clients can not be the only provider!) Systematic information gathering (clients can not be the only provider!) Better www-pages and data banks Better www-pages and data banks More and systematic contacts with companies More and systematic contacts with companies Contacts with labour and employer unions Contacts with labour and employer unions Co-operation between sectors/ministries Co-operation between sectors/ministries Basic and further training Basic and further training