Career Development and Public Policy:Two worlds, two realities that need to talk

Points of view from 14 OECD countries

Presented by Michel Turcotte, CC Human Resources Development Canada

Vice-President of the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation et des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices of Québec

E-mail: mturcotte@sympatico.ca

Plan

The Symposium: why, when, who, howDefining career development servicesPublic policyPrograms and services offeredOrganization of servicesStaff training Issues identified by each countrySymposium conclusions

Organization of SymposiumWhy?

Career counsellors felt there was a need for this Symposium; they tend to pay little attention to policy issues.

Career development services depend on public policy and vice versa: policies that regard these services as important should have a better understanding of what they are.

Organization of SymposiumWhen, who, why?

May 1999 in Ottawa.Participants from 14 countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada,

Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, New

Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, United States) including members of the policy making community (decision makers) and the counselling community.

Preparatory work: country documents on the career counselling situation in each country.

Two-day closed Symposium, think tank format.Proceedings of the Symposium.

Career Counselling Myths

Give informed advice, can accurately foresee where the jobs will be and help people make the ideal choice.

Taking a battery of tests enables people to choose the ideal career.

Intended only for students, the unemployed and the underemployed.

Definition

For the purposes of the Symposium, the general term “career development services” refers to the set of psychological and educational resources that help individuals to make life transitions and changes, and to develop and consider appropriate vocational development projects and strategies by which they can acquire new skills as they plan their educational or occupational future Self-knowledge Awareness of job prospects Learning about decision-making and transition processes.

Definition

In the Netherlands and Finland, individuals must learn how to manage their own careers: What kind of person am I when it comes to motivation,

interests, strengths and weaknesses? (personal identity) Given my qualities, in what field can I make a contribution

to society? (choose a career path) In what type of occupation can I establish meaningful

relations with others? (working identity)

Public Policy

All the countries have policies that entitle people to free career development services. What varies are the resources invested, the level of service, control and co-ordination measures, and consultation mechanisms with the career counselling community. In Spain and Argentina, there is little consultation. In Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands, career development experts are consulted.

Programs in the schools

Career education Basically, information on occupations and study

programs (in Argentina, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom)

In the other countries, career plan/portfolio development is added.

Programs in the schools (1 of 2)

Career counselling: In some countries, basically an information service

(Argentina, Spain, Australia, Germany, New Zealand).

The Netherlands and Finland emphasize the development of personal and working identity.

Placement services in the universities.

Organization - Argentina

Very decentralized services. In the schools, counsellors try to train the teachers

responsible for providing career guidance.Guidance services are most effective in the

universities. Sometimes, universities offer services to the general public.

Organization - Spain

In the high schools, the counselling service supports teaching, academic and career guidance, and tutors. It also co-ordinates with other services and establishes links with the community. The guidance counsellors are part of the teaching staff and generally teach psychology and the transition to the labour force.

Most universities have established career guidance services.

Organization - Australia

Services are very decentralized (states, school boards) and diverse: One state has a statement of results for career education but no

curriculum for career education teachers. In another, career counsellors play a leading role. In another, teachers incorporate “people and work” into the curriculum at

least every second year from kindergarten through Grade 10.

The Government of the Commonwealth produces and distributes a variety of information products on occupations and the labour market, in print and on the Internet.

Organization - United States

“An un-co-ordinated mosaic.” The system in the United States is largely decentralized, resulting in uneven provision of career development programs and services.

National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) and State Occupational Information Coordinating Committees

Organization - Ireland

The law does not spell out what students are entitled to; it is left up to school administrations.

Guidance services are virtually non-existent in community, literacy and adult education programs.

Some private counselling organizations provide paid services.

Organization - Denmark

Decentralization is the guiding principle University: the State Adult education and high school: counties Immigrants and refugees: municipalities

Approximately 15,000 professionals, para-professionals and non-professionals, mostly half-time (teaching/guidance).

There are many career development services, but they are scattered and do not form a coherent organization.

Organization - Finland

Until recently, the structure for providing guidance services within the school system was clearly prescribed by the Ministry of Education. There was a strong insistence on including career education classes in the curriculum. Now, the time allotted to those classes has been reduced.

The municipalities and the schools now control the curriculum and distribute resources. The provision of guidance services has become more diversified as a result.

Organization - Hong Kong

Career counselling and employment services for high school students and the general public are provided by the Education Department, the Labour Department, and the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters.

The latter creates, supervises and supports career preparation teams in each high school, trains teachers, and provides resources and information services on careers and training.

Organization - France

Teachers play a key role in career education. Guidance counsellors/psychologists act primarily as the institutions’ technical advisors in this area, and also hold one-on-one counselling meetings; in the French school system, the teachers are the primary decision-makers on guidance for their students.

Organization - FranceAdvisory and information organizations (2)

518 information and guidance centres (CIOs), under the Ministry of Education.

322 local missions (MLs) and 308 assessment, information and guidance offices (PAIOs); these generally have the status of associations and are headed by a local elected official; 37% of their funding comes

from the State and 63% from the regions. Information organizations: two public bodies produce

information National Employment and Training Information Bureau (ONISEP) (National

Ministry of Education) Youth Information and Documentation Centre (CIDJ) (Ministry of Youth and

Sport) Private firms also design and disseminate information.

Organization - Germany

The Federal Labour Office Exchange (Arbeitsamt) had exclusive authority (until 1997) to offer career counselling and employment services to all clients (700 branches; 350 major branches including an occupational information centre).

Private and voluntary organizations are now appearing. Fees for the services offered can legally be charged only to the employer.

Universities offer students counselling services and high schools generally have a teacher/counsellor.

Organization - Netherlands

From regulation to deregulation, centralization to decentralization; non-interference policy; loss of control and of quality evaluation.

Each school is responsible for career education and guidance. The subject teachers, the homeroom teacher, the counsellor and the career

education teachers have complementary responsibilities. The school administration develops a vision and policy on the organization of career education and guidance in the school but does not prescribe how it is to be dispensed.

Linkages are made between the subject being taught and the occupations in which it is used.

External guidance services can be purchased.

Organization - Netherlands (2)

National Continuous Learning Action Program Self-management of employability by the individual To provide a starting point, businesses are required to

invest in worker employability.

Organization - New Zealand

In 1990, the government created Career Services Government departments (Education, Labour), school

boards, universities became clients. Career Services offer information, counselling and guidance

services; clients can go to an office, phone or send a fax to receive careers advice.

An accurate information system is a key component of all government guidance and information initiatives.

Concern with impartiality.

Organization - U.K.

The Ministry of Education and Employment (MEE) is responsible for the education and training system in the U.K., including career information, career education and career guidance.

In the early 1990s, the MEE awarded a series of contracts to 66 local occupational services, most of which are corporations with a Board of Directors. The directors represent various community interests.

Personnel - Denmark

The people involved in guidance are teachers or administrators, who take on career guidance in addition to their responsibilities.

In almost all cases, the individuals assigned to career guidance receive brief training once they are on the job.

It is possible to earn a graduate degree in education with a career guidance specialization. However, there are few students entering the field.

Personnel - Australia

People enter the field by various pathways in education and training (teaching, psychology, social service or human resources management). There are some nine undergraduate programs that include a specific career education or career guidance component.

In 1992, the National Board of Education, Employment and Training (NBEET) defined a set of professional skills for guidance counsellors.

Personnel - Germany

The Ministry of Employment has a monopoly on training. Its staff takes a three-year program at the Ministry’s private university. To be admitted, students must have an apprenticeship diploma in a trade and two years of work experience.

To fill training needs, a six-month program was developed to qualify office employees to become career guidance counsellors.

Personnel - Ireland

Some universities offer a one-year full-time post-graduate program. To get a job in a second-level school, the Department of Education requires a Master’s degree in education with a specialization in guidance counselling.

Personnel - Argentina

While almost all the on-site profesionals are psychologists, school psychologists or educational specialists, the training they receive is generally insufficient.

Demand for qualified specialists has increased in recent years, and some state universities have created graduate programs for career counsellors.

Personnel - Spain

Career counsellors are university trained diploma in education, psychology or psychoeducation a program of only two years, after completion of a

minimum three-year program in a related field need to pass a state exam in order to work in a high school

guidance department.

In institutions of higher learning, however, counsellors have qualifications of all kinds.

Personnel - France

Information and guidance centres (CIOs): staffed by career counsellors/psychologists.

Local missions (MLs) and assessment, information and guidance offices (PAIOs): 6,000 employees with a wide variety of qualifications.

Personnel - United States

Training varies widely, from brief on-the-job training to a Ph.D.

NOICC has developed the National Career Development Guidelines for the development of full programs in career development at all levels of education.

NOICC and the National Career Development Association offer a 120-hour para-professional program for professional career counsellors.

The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is a national voluntary body which certifies counsellors.

Personnel - Finland

Finland has a highly professionalized guidance and counselling system. There are career counsellors who came out of the Labour administration and also career guidance psychologists in the school system, particularly in the higher grades at comprehensive high schools. In both cases, a Master’s diploma is required. Both groups are highly qualified by international standards.

Issues - Hong-kong

To meet employers’ expectations, career development specialists will have to change their roles and act as trainers rather than career counsellors:

turn out graduates who can use information technologies to full advantage, are infused with a spirit of exploration and discovery, and are committed to self-improvement through continuous knowledge acquisition

help young people understand the culture, history and political, economic and social systems of mainland China

Issues - Argentina

Create a system to guarantee universal access to career counselling in the schools and the community; create regional information and counselling centres.

Promote the creation of a national computerized data bank connected to educational and employment organizations.

Implement remote information and guidance systems. Implement retraining and ongoing training programs

for counsellors.

Issues - Denmark

Professionalization.Quality assurance and evaluation.An individualized approach.The environmental impact of occupational choices

should be factored into career counselling.

Issues - Finland

Rethink the concept of career. New careers are more fragmented and evidence the need for lifelong learning and an appropriate career development strategy. Individuals must acquire not only specific occupational skills but also a working identity. Today’s world seems to require people to manage their own lives and careers. Career planning is being replaced by career management.

Issues - France

The career information and counselling services offered to students are woefully inadequate (approximately one counsellor per 20,000 students).

Create synergies between the different organizations and offer equivalent services to different client groups.

Certify career counselling practitioners and professionals. Supervise practices. Should a professional corporation be created?

Give everyone access to accurate, relevant information about training and careers.

Issues - Germany

How can people be prepared to manage their own Me Incorporated? Self-management and self-employment.

Factor environmental issues into counselling.

Issues - Ireland

A coherent policy framework for counselling services (education and the labour market).

Promote social inclusiveness to keep people from dropping out of advanced studies.

Lifelong counselling (in connection with the EU).

A national framework for practitioners’ roles and training (certification and diplomas).

National strategy to exploit the potential of information and communication technologies.

Issues - Netherlands

Career guidance in academic subjects. Career guidance in school policies. Greater expertise on the part of subject teachers,

homeroom teachers, career education teachers, counsellors and the administration.

Issues - New Zealand

The concepts of lifelong learning and investment in training are at the core of counselling-related concerns and policy development.

Access to information. Impartial career counselling.Access to career counselling for target groups. Quality of career development services: regulation,

control and quality issues.

Issues - Spain

The number of specialized career development professionals is small compared with the high demand for their services. Practitioners do not all have specific training in the field.

Policies on guidance are uneven in the different educational levels. There is no continuity from one stage to another, which gives an impression of a piecemeal approach to guidance rather than a holistic process.

Issues - United States

Policies are often dependent on the values of the governing party and the influence of lobbies.

Career development services can be viewed as a way to achieve a specific policy objective or as a component of a more complex intervention program.

Issues - Summary

Quality assurance and funding: What is the best way to ensure that career counselling organizations funded by the State provide service of superior quality?

Technology: How can providers of career counselling services most effectively use new technologies to dispense their services?

Staff training and qualifications

Increase resources (France, Argentina, Spain)

Access to impartial, accurate information: France, N.Z.

Issues (2)

Lifelong career development and overlapping responsibilities: Finland, Netherlands, N.Z., France, Ireland.

Maintaining an individualized approach to career development: Denmark, Germany.

Market-driven approach: Hong Kong.Green approach: Denmark, Germany. Incorporate career development into academic

subjects to a greater extent: Netherlands.

Symposium Conclusions1. Lifelong career development

The purpose of career development services today is to help individuals not to choose careers but to construct them. It is important that career development services be offered

on an ongoing, lifelong basis. In Europe, the popular terms are:Lifelong learningLifelong career development

Symposium Conclusions 2. Partnership

Governments are increasingly promoting enabling processes, i.e. they seek out and capitalize on the influence, collaboration and energy of many individuals and organizations. Governments must consider what career

development services they should offer themselves and what their role should be in relation to the services provided by others.

Symposium Conclusions3. Professionalism

In many countries, there is concern about the poor quality of much of the career education services provided in the schools, the fact they are taught by teachers inadequately trained for such work and with inadequate support in the form of quality standards, inspection mechanisms and performance measurement.

There is also a need to define the skills expected of career development professionals at all levels: IAEVG Canadian Standards Committee

Symposium Conclusions4. Technology

Role of information and communication technologies It is easy to use technology to get around access problems.

For example, the U.K. has just launched a major initiative to fund career development services for adults. However, the decision was based exclusively on the availability of resources, which means more attention is being paid to the information side than to career counselling per se. No cost-benefit analysis was performed.

Symposium Conclusions5. Crossing administrative boundaries

One of the major problems raised by policy-making in the career development field is the fact that policy tends to cross administrative boundaries, particularly the boundary between education policy and labour market policy. What is the impact on a “lifelong career development”

policy?”

Symposium Conclusions6. Raising the profile of career development

Policy makers, including politicians and their advisors in the public service, need to have a more accurate idea of what career development involves. Policy makers offered five pieces of advice: Don’t underestimate the press The phone has to ring Recognize the importance of personal experience Provide the sound bytes Counsellors need to overcome their ethical reluctance to use

their skills for political as well as helping purposes.

Next Symposium - March 20015 discussion points

Describe the policy models for career development services in your country.

In your country, what quality outcomes for career development services for all age groups are endorsed by both policy makers and practitioners?

For your country, what are the costs and benefits of career development services?

Next Symposium - March 2001

The public sector, employers, unions, the private sector, community organizations and the voluntary sector all have a role to play in providing career development services.

What does your country consider to be the appropriate level of professional training, qualifications and skills for career development practitioners?