Career guidance in the Mediterranean region

Abstract

Education and training have been identified as one of the key instruments for the promotion of social stability and economic prosperity in the Mediterranean region in a number of policy documents and bilateral cooperation programmes under the so-called Barcelona Process. Among other measures to support this process, a special regional MEDA programme – Education and Training for Employment (MEDA-ETE) – was launched by the European Commission (EuropeAid Cooperation Office), and is being implemented by the European Training Foundation (ETF) between 2005 and 2008. This project aims to support 10 Mediterranean Partners – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip – in the design of relevant education and training policies that can contribute to promote employment through a regional approach. When the MEDA-ETE project was designed, many of the 10 Mediterranean Partners expressed the interest and need to better understand the career guidance services in the region and to identify existing good policies and practices both in and outside the European Union. As a result, in 2006, a specific component of the project was dedicated to career guidance in the Mediterranean region. It has generated a number of outputs, such as country and cross-country analyses of career guidance policies as well as the establishment of a regional network of policy-makers in career guidance, supported by a virtual community/discussion forum on guidance. The analysis was built upon previous experience with career guidance reviews of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Commission (Directorate-General for Education and Culture), Cedefop, ETF and the World Bank, and developed further the research methodology by paying particular attention to the socio-economic and cultural context of the Mediterranean region and its impact and limitations on career guidance services. It was based on the assumption that career guidance is not only important for individuals, but also can contribute to a number of public-policy goals in education and training, in the labour market and in social cohesion and equity. It further took into account the paradigm shift in career guidance that is emerging in the EU and OECD countries, from ‘choosing a career’ to ‘constructing a career’, from ‘psychological testing’ to ‘tasting the world of work’, and from ‘external expert support’ to ‘career self-management skills’. Therefore, the underlying definition of career guidance used in the analysis was the same as adopted by EU Ministers of Education in 2004 (EU Council Resolution on Lifelong Guidance): ‘services to assist individuals and groups of any age, at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.’ Special thanks to Carmela Doriana Monteleone and Jens Johansen (ETF) for preparing and advising on the statistical tables. The cross-country report is based on 10 country reports and profiles (see Annex B) prepared by the following local experts: Abdul Majid Abdul Ghani (Lebanon), Khayri Abushowayb (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Fusun Akkök (Turkey), Aboubakr Badawi (Egypt), Benny A. Benjamin (Israel), Abdassalem Bouaich (Morocco), Améziane Djenkal (Algeria), Issa Maldaoun (Syria), Nader Mryyan (Jordan), and Saïd Ben Sedrine (Tunisia). The report takes into account developments reported by the 10 countries and territories up to the end of 2006. Both the analysis and the network of career guidance policy-makers covered the whole region. By early 2007 the work had already stimulated interesting follow-up initiatives, for example in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. We believe that this cross-country report will allow both policy-makers and practitioners to further develop national career guidance systems and structures, as well as to better relate and benchmark their activities within the international context, based on a shared vision within the Mediterranean region and with the European Union. The ETF will actively seek opportunities for further support to Mediterranean Partners on the topic of career guidance, both at institutional level and by creating synergies with other donor activities. Meanwhile the current virtual community on career guidance, hosted by the ETF, will continue to assist in networking between Mediterranean Partners to ensure the exchange of expertise and views.