ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION: QUALIFYING THE ACTORS - GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

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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
• jmc_at_iccdpp.org

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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)

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EXAMPLES OF GUIDANCE ACTIVITIES

• 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)

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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

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THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF LIFELONG GUIDANCE
PROVISION

• 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)

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NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN (2006)

• 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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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LEVELS OF ADULT EDUCATION GUIDANCE SERVICE

• SELF-HELP, LITTLE ASSISTANCE
• INITIAL CONSULTATION WITH A TRAINED ADVISOR TO
  CLARIFY NEEDS, INDICATE APPROPRIATE PATHWAYS
  AND/OR REFERRALgtSOME ASSISTANCE
• MORE SPECIALISED SUPPORT SUCH AS COUNSELLING
  (PERSONAL, EDUCATIONAL, CAREER) AND ASSESSMENT
  gtINTENSIVE ASSISTANCE

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EU COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR LIFELONG GUIDANCE (2004)

• Independence respects the freedom of choice of
  the citizen
• Impartiality the citizens interest is primary
• Confidentiality citizens right to privacy
• Equal opportunities in learning and work
  promoted
• Holistic valuing of the personal, social,,
  cultural and economic context of a citizens
  decision-making
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
  DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

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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?

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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 ones life
• Accessibility modes, times, locations
• Responsiveness methods that address diversity of
  needs
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
  DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

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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 citizens needs also
  knows when to refer citizen for more appropriate
  help
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
  DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

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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
• IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
  DEVELOPMENT/FOR QUALIFYING THE ACTORS?

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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?

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GOOD EXAMPLE OF TRAINING PROGRAMME (UNIVERSITY OF
STRATHCLYDE, SCOTLAND)

• ADULT GUIDANCE CERTIFICATE
• MODULES
• COUNSELLING AND INTERVIEW SKILLS
• INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER ASSISTED
  GUIDANCE
• GUIDANCE NETWORKS
• QUALITY ASSURANCE
• ORGANISATIONAL GUIDANCE POLICY

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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