Transcript ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION: QUALIFYING THE ACTORS

ADULT AND CONTINUING
EDUCATION: QUALIFYING THE
ACTORS GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING
Thematic Input for Workshop 3
Qualifying the Actors in adult and continuing education: trends and perspectives
3-5 May, Bonn, Germany
By Dr John McCarthy
International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy,
Strasbourg, France
[email protected]
DEFINING GUIDANCE AND
COUNSELLING
• POLITICAL DEFINITION: a range of activities that
enables citizens of any age and at any point in their lives
to:
• Identify their capacities, competences and interests
• Make meaningful educational, training and occupational
decisions
• Manage their individual life paths in learning, work or
other settings in which these capacities and
competences are learned and/or used
• Source: EU Council of Education Ministers Resolution
on Lifelong Guidance (2004)
EXAMPLES OF GUIDANCE
ACTIVITIES
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Information and advice giving
Counselling
Competence assessment
Mentoring
Advocacy
Teaching decision-making and career
management skills
• Source: EU Council of Ministers of Education
Resolution on Lifelong Guidance (2004)
AIMS OF ADULT EDUCATIONAL
GUIDANCE
• TO ASSIST CITIZENS:
• TO REVIEW ALL OPTIONS AND TO IDENTIFY
LEARNING/TRAINING OBJECTIVES
• TO COPE WITH THE VOCATIONAL AND PERSONAL
IMPLICATIONS OF LEARNING/TRAINING
• TO MANAGE HER/HIS EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL AND
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TO INTERRELATE THESE
• TO PROVIDE CITIZEN WITH CONTINUITY OF SUPPORT
ACROSS SUBJECTS AND TUTORS/TRAINERS
• TO SUPPORT CITIZEN IN LONG-TERM PLANNING
• TO IDENTIFY AND VALIDATE THE COMPETENCES THEY HAVE
ACQUIRED THROUGH NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL
LEARNING
THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF
LIFELONG GUIDANCE PROVISION
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ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY OF INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION AND
VOCATIONAL TRAINING, LIFELONG LEARNING, AND HUMAN CAPITAL
AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
A KEY INSTRUMENT FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS
TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND PROVISION OF LEARNING
SUPPORT LEARNING AT ALL AGES AND IN A RANGE OF SETTINGS,
EMPOWER CITIZENS TO MANAGE THEIR LEARNING AND WORK,
PARTICULARLY MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM TO ACCESS AND
PROGRESS THROUGH DIVERSE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND
CAREER PATHWAYS
ACHIEVEMENT OF EU PUBLIC POLICY GOALS: ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT; LABOUR MARKET EFFCIENCY; OCCUPATIONAL AND
GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY; SOCIAL INCLUSION; SOCIAL EQUITY;
GENDER EQUALITY; AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
Source: Council of Education Ministers Resolution on Lifelong
Guidance (2004)
NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN (2006)
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Lift barriers to participation
Ensure the quality of adult learning
Recognise and validate learning outcomes
Invest in the ageing population and
immigrants
• Be in a position to measure progress
THE REALITY OF GUIDANCE
PROVISION FOR ADULTS
• Very few countries have guidance services for adults
• Where they exist, they are generally part of the service
of the Public Employment Services, for unemployed
persons, and with a focus on job placement
• Employed people are less likely to access such services
• Very little private sector provision (excluding recruitment
and outplacement)
• Guidance provision in adult and continuing education
largely unquantified
• Source: OECD, CEDEFOP, ETF and World Bank
international reviews of policies for career guidance
(from 2001 to present)
GOOD EXAMPLES OF ADULT
EDUCATION GUIDANCE SERVICES
• LEARNDIRECT NATIONAL TELEPHONE
HELPLINE SERVICES, UK
• ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE INITIATIVES,
IRELAND, SLOVENIA
• CENTRES DU BILAN DES COMPETENCES,
FRANCE
• AFPA, France
• TRADE UNION CONGRESS, UK
• RESPONSES OF INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS IN MANY
COUNTRIES
RESEARCH RESULTS ON ADULT
EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS
GUIDANCE NEEDS
• 80% choose the course first, 20% the
institution
• 60% wish for guidance both before and after
making a choice
• 75% wish to have the option of a one to one
delivery service
• 80% wish for a locally based guidance service
• 44% prefer weekday evening services and
24 % weekday morning services
• Source: Guidance in Adult and Continuing
Education (Ireland) 1998
RESEARCH RESULTS ON ADULT
EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS’
GUIDANCE NEEDS
• 60% willing to pay for such a service
• Information and counselling most
important elements of guidance
• Clear information on course
content/demands a priority element, with
career destination information a second
• Source: Guidance in Adult and Continuing
Education (Ireland) 1998
FEATURES OF GUIDANCE PROVISION IN
ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
• ROLE OF THE ADULT EDUCATION TUTOR
(INFORMATION, ADVICE, STUDY SUPPORT,
REFERRAL, ADVOCACY)
• ROLE OF ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE
PRACTITIONER (ALL OF ABOVE PLUS
COUNSELLING; ASSESSMENT; FOLLOW-UP;
NETWORKING; TEACHING CAREER
MANAGEMENT SKILLS; IDENTIFYING
COMPETENCES ACQUIRED INFORMALLY)
• OVERLAPPING AND COMPLEMENTARY
ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE STAGES
• BEFORE ENTRY TO A
COURSE/PROGRAMME
• ON COMMENCEMENT OF A
COURSE/PROGRAMME
• DURING THE COURSE/PROGRAMME
• BEFORE COMPLETION OF A
COURSE/PROGRAMME
• AFTER COMPLETION OF A
COURSE/PROGRAMME
LEVELS OF ADULT EDUCATION
GUIDANCE SERVICE
• SELF-HELP, LITTLE ASSISTANCE
• INITIAL CONSULTATION WITH A TRAINED
ADVISOR – TO CLARIFY NEEDS, INDICATE
APPROPRIATE PATHWAYS AND/OR
REFERRAL>SOME ASSISTANCE
• MORE SPECIALISED SUPPORT – SUCH AS
COUNSELLING (PERSONAL, EDUCATIONAL,
CAREER) AND ASSESSMENT >INTENSIVE
ASSISTANCE
EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR
LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004)
• Independence: respects the freedom of choice of the
citizen
• Impartiality: the citizen’s interest is primary
• Confidentiality: citizen’s right to privacy
• Equal opportunities: in learning and work promoted
• Holistic: valuing of the personal, social,, cultural and
economic context of a citizen’s decision-making
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?
EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR
LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004)
• Empowerment: teaching citizens to
become competent at planning and
managing their individual pathways and
transitions
• Active involvement: guidance as a
collaborative activity; co-construction
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?
EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR
LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004)
• Transparency: nature of the guidance service is
immediately obvious to citizen
• Friendliness and empathy
• Continuity: support for citizens through a range
of transitions across their lifespan
• Availability: any point in one’s life
• Accessibility: modes, times, locations
• Responsiveness: methods that address
diversity of needs
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?
EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR
LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004)
• Appropriateness of methods: theoretical and/or
scientific base, relevant for purpose
• Continuous improvement: regular feedback from
citizens; continuous training for staff
• Right of redress: formal complaints procedure
• Competent staff: nationally accredited competences to
address the citizen’s needs; also knows when to refer
citizen for more appropriate help
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?
EU COMMON REFERENCE POINTS FOR
QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR GUIDANCE
(2005)
• 5 categories of which practitioner competence is one:
• To possess the competence relevant to the guidance
activity provided;
• To hold or to be working towards a relevant
qualification to acquire the competences;
• Monitoring and inspection of work of guidance
practitioner with a focus on outcomes of interventions
• On-going professional development
• Involvement of relevant stakeholders in the
development of standards and QA procedures
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IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?
KEY QUESTIONS FOR QUALIFYING THE
ACTORS IN ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE
AND COUNSELLING?
• Which targeted training should be given to adult
education tutors AND programme managers to support
them in the guidance aspects of their work?
• How to construct national training and qualifications
pathways to enable persons to progress in a learner
friendly way from non-expert to expert guidance roles?
• And also to support differentiated staff roles with
respect to guidance provision in a three level service
approach?
• How can the validation of non-formal and informal
learning national systems be used to place value on
the experience and work of persons who have been
providing guidance informally to adult education
participants for many years?
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KEY QUESTIONS FOR QUALIFYING THE
ACTORS IN ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE
AND COUNSELLING?
How can EU resolutions, tools and
instruments be used at national and regional
levels both to lobby for adequate adult
education guidance provision and,
To inform the content of training programmes
for adult education guidance practitioners?
How can adult education guidance best fit in a
lifelong guidance system involving different
providers working in partnership?
How can an evidence base be developed to
make the case for adult education guidance
provision?
GOOD EXAMPLE OF TRAINING
PROGRAMME (UNIVERSITY OF
STRATHCLYDE, SCOTLAND)
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ADULT GUIDANCE CERTIFICATE:
MODULES:
COUNSELLING AND INTERVIEW SKILLS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER
ASSISTED GUIDANCE
• GUIDANCE NETWORKS
• QUALITY ASSURANCE
• ORGANISATIONAL GUIDANCE POLICY
GOOD EXAMPLE OF TRAINING
PROGRAMME (UNIVERSITY OF
STRATHCLYDE, SCOTLAND)
• DIPLOMA IN ADULT OF GUIDANCE:
• MODULES
• ACCREDITATION OF PRIOR AND WORK-BASED
LEARNING
• EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ETHNIC MINORITIES
• GUIDANCE, MARKETING AND CUSTOMER CARE
• MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN
ADULT GUIDANCE
• ONGOING GUIDANCE, TUTORING; AND LEARNING
SUPPORT