Career guidance : a policy handbook

Abstract

This publication arises from major reviews of national career guidance policies conducted by the OECD and the European Commission during 2001-2003. Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom took part in the OECD review. The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) gathered data from Belgium, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Sweden for the European Commission, and the European Training Foundation (ETF) gathered data from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. A parallel review by the World Bank was conducted in 2003 in Chile, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa and Turkey. In each country the reviews assessed how the organisation, management and delivery of career guidance services contribute to the implementation of lifelong learning and active labour market policies. The OECD and the European Commission co-operated in planning the reviews, used a common survey instrument (initially designed for use by the 14 countries taking part in the OECD review, and also used as the basis for the World Bank reviews), shared experts and members of review teams, and jointly commissioned expert papers to inform their assessment of key issues. This co-operation has resulted in a unique set of data on national approaches to career guidance services. A number of common messages emerged from the reviews about deficiencies in national career guidance services. Many examples of good practice exist in the countries that were reviewed. Nevertheless there are major gaps between how services are organised and delivered on the one hand and some key public policy goals on the other. Access to services is limited, particularly for adults. Too often services fail to develop people's career management skills, but focus upon immediate decisions. Training and qualification systems for those who provide services are often inadequate or inappropriate. Co-ordination between key ministries and stakeholders is poor. The evidence base is insufficient to allow proper steering of services by policy makers, with inadequate data being available on costs, benefits, client characteristics or outcomes. And in delivering services insufficient use is made of ICT and other cost-effective ways to meet client needs more flexibly. This publication gives policy makers clear, practical tools that can be used to address these problems. It encompasses the major policy domains involved in developing a comprehensive framework for lifelong guidance systems: meeting the career guidance needs of young people and of adults; widening access to career guidance; improving career information; staffing and funding career guidance services; and improving strategic leadership. Within each of these areas the publication: • Sets out the key challenges that policy makers face in trying to improve career guidance services; • Provides examples of good practice and of effective responses to these challenges, drawing upon research conducted in 36 OECD and European countries; • Lists the questions that policy makers need to ask themselves in responding to these challenges; and • Provides practical options that they can use in order to improve policy. Material for the publication was prepared by Professor Ronald Sultana of the University of Malta and Professor Tony Watts of the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling, both of whom had extensive involvement in the OECD and European Commission reviews. Within the OECD preparation of the publication was supervised by Richard Sweet, and within the European Commission by staff of the Directorate General, Education and Culture. It is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD and the Director General for Education and Culture, European Commission.