Division for Guidance

1
The Danish Guidance Reform

• Division for Guidance
• The Danish Ministry of Education
• 28 April 2004

2
Historical perspectives

• Until mid-1940s
• Vocational guidance only in the public employment
  services
• Mainly diagnostic, psychometric testing
• From the mid-1940s
• A gradual shift towards a client-centred and
  pedagogical /educational approach in guidance.
  Inspired by Carl Rogers
• No use of tests since the 1960s
• Guidance services in schools implemented during
  1960s and 1970s

3
Overview of existing guidance services
Orientation towards the education system
Preparatory adult education General adult
education Day folk high schools Folk high
schools Danish as a second language for
foreigners
Primary and lower secondary school Youth
guidance Upper secondary education Higher
education
Youth
Adults
Vocational basic education Upper secondary
vocational education Basic social and health
education Agricultural schools Production schools
Public employment service Union-based
unemployment insurance system Municipal
re-engaging of the unemployed Vocational training
centresThe defense and the prison
service Municipal services for refugees and
immigrants
Orientation towards the labour market
4
A reform of the Danish guidance system why?

• The existing system
• does not pay enough attention to young people
  with special needs
• is too sectorised
• focuses too much on well-known educational
  options and does not include labour market/career
  perspectives
• needs a more efficient quality assurance system
• lacks professional guidance counsellors

5
New Act on Guidance

• Act on Guidance in Relation to Choice of
  Education, Training and Career (effective from 1
  August 2004)
• Mainly concerned with youth guidance and the
  education sector
• Not applicable to guidance services for adults
  (2nd phase of reform at a later stage)

6
Main aims of new Act

• Guidance should help ensure that choice of
  education and career will be of greatest possible
  benefit to the individual and to society
• Guidance should be targeted especially at young
  people with special needs
• Apart from the individuals interests and
  personal qualifications, guidance should also
  take into account the anticipated need for
  qualified labour and self-employed businessmen
• Guidance should help reduce drop-out rates
• Guidance should be independent from institution-
  and sector-specific interests

7
Figures youth education

• 97 of a year group continue to a youth education
  programme after the Folkeskole (form 9 or 10)
• 98 of the girls/96 of the boys
• 54 general upper secondary education
• 63 of the girls/45 of the boys
• 84 complete their gen. upper sec. Education (77
  in commercial/technical gen. upper sec.
  education)
• 36 vocational education and training
• 25 of the girls/45 of the boys
• 81 complete commercial basic course/64
  technical basic course
• 82 complete their main VET programme
• 7 education programmes not leading to formal
  qualifications

8
Figures higher education

• 97 with gen. upper sec. education continue
• 66 HE programme
• 14 VET programme
• 10 commercial/technical gen. upper sec.
  education programme
• 94 with commercial/technical gen. upper sec.
  education continue
• 51 HE programme
• 34 VET programme
• 3 general upper secondary education programme
• 71 complete short-cycle education programmes
• 72 complete medium-cycle education programmes
• 56 complete bachelor programmes
• 72 complete 5-6 year programmes
• 63 complete master (candidatus) programmes

9
Organisation after reform

• Fewer types of guidance services
• Establishment of approx 50 municipal Youth
  Guidance Centres
• Guidance in relation to transition from
  compulsory to youth education
• Establishment of 7 regional guidance centres
• Guidance in relation to transition from youth
  education to higher education
• Still guidance counsellors in schools as well

10
Youth Guidance Centres

• Guidance in relation to transition from
  compulsory to youth education
• Approx. 50 municipal centres ready 1 August 2004
  (271 municipalities)
• Not necessarily actual centres that are open for
  clients
• Guidance still provided at the pupils schools
• Each centre covers a sustainable geographical
  area
• Responsible day-to-day manager
• Mostly full-time guidance counsellors

11
Youth Guidance Centres

• Municipal council defines framework for guidance
  activities and methods and publishes objectives
  and results on the Internet
• Centres to cooperate with
• Primary/lower secondary schools and youth
  education institutions in the area
• Local business life and the public employment
  services
• Centres to work with development, quality and
  coordination of guidance services

12
Youth Guidance Centres target groups

• Pupils in compulsory school forms 6 to 9 (10)
• Young people under the age of 19 not involved in
  education, training or employment. The Centres
  are obliged to contact this group and find a
  suitable offer for them
• Young people between the age of 19 and 25 who ask
  for guidance
• Youth with special needs

13
Youth Guidance Centres methods

• Guidance as a continuous process
• Help clients become more conscious of their
  abilities, interests and possibilities
• Help clients make decisions re. education and
  employment on a qualified basis
• Qualify the young people to draw up a realistic
  personal education plan (compulsory)
• More resources for and focus on clients with
  special needs

14
Regional Guidance Centres

• 7 new centres will be established (August 2004)
• New centres selected after a call for tenders
• Most centres are consortia of different
  educational institutions, county authorities etc.
  
• Obliged to cooperate with partners in their
  region
• Youth education and higher education institutions
• Social partners
• Municipalities

15
Regional Guidance Centres

• Guidance in relation to transition from youth
  education programmes to higher education
• Provide information about HE programmes all over
  Denmark
• Provide information about possible
  occupations/professions after HE
• Target groups
• Pupils in youth education programmes
• Young people and adults outside the education and
  training system wishing to enter a higher
  education programme

16
National, virtual guidance portal

• Youth education and training programmes
• Higher education and training programmes
• Occupations/professions
• Labour market
• International information
• Internet-based guidance materials facilitating
  the choice of education, occupations and career
• E-mail services

17
National Dialogue Forum

• Cross-sectoral
• Individual members and member organisations are
  appointed for a period of two years.
• Examples of member organisations
• National employers and employees organisations
• Guidance counsellor associations
• Youth organisations
• County and municipal authorities
• Relevant ministries
• The Minister may choose to appoint additional
  members for a shorter period of time, in case it
  is considered relevant

18
National Dialogue Forum

• The forum will
• exchange experiences and viewpoints
• discuss new ideas and innovative thinking within
  the field of guidance
• Overall objectives
• to enhance the level of quality in Danish
  guidance services
• to secure a close dialogue between the Minister
  and relevant organisations, institutions,
  guidance counsellor associations and individuals
  holding a leading position in Danish guidance

19
2nd phase of the reform guidance for adults in
employment

• Expected elements
• National, virtual guidance portal including
  information on education and career possibilities
  for adults
• Call Centre/hot-line (similar to learndirect in
  the UK)
• Regional guidance centres for adults in
  employment

20
New training programme for guidance counsellors

• One common training programme available for
  guidance counsellors from all sectors (starts
  August 2004)
• Not obligatory, but highly recommended
• Offered by 6 Higher Education Centres across the
  country
• Tuition fee
• Not just for people who have already been
  appointed guidance counsellor
• Entry requirements (minimum)
• Completed short-cycle HE programme
• 2 years relevant working experience

21
Contents and structure of new training programme

• Part-time training (equivalent to 6 months
  full-time studies)
• 3 modules
• Guidance theories and methodologies, ethics, ICT
  in guidance
• Labour market conditions, the education system
  and society
• Different target groups, human development,
  learning theories etc.
• Students have the possibility to specialise their
  studies according to the sector they come from
• Qualification level corresponds to ½ diploma
  degree in the Danish parallel competence system

22
The Division for Guidance (Ministry of Education)

• Secretariat for the National Dialogue Forum
• Contract business and quality control in relation
  to portal, Youth Guidance Centres, 7 regional
  guidance centres
• Coordination with guidance services in other
  sectors
• Knowledge centre (analyses, development
  projects, collection of best practices etc.)
• International activities, incl. Euroguidance
  Denmark

23
Further information

• Inge Langberg Kjaer inkje1_at_uvm.dk
• Direct tel [phone]
• The Division for Guidance
• The Danish Ministry of Education
• Frederiksholms kanal 26
• DK-1220 Copenhagen K