The voice of guidance practitioners in relation to National Guidance Forums

1. International Association of Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG/AIOSP) Karen Schober The voice of guidance practitioners in relation to National Guidance Forums National Lifelong Guidance Policy Forums – Facilitating access, active citizenship and social inclusion CEDEFOP Peer Learning Event, Thessaloniki, 4 – 5-June 2008

2. The voice of guidance practitioners (overview) • Who are „the guidance practitioners“? • Variety of guidance practitioners organisations • Aims of guidance practitioners and organisations representing guidance practitioners • Role of guidance practitioners in public policy for lifelong learning (LLG) and in relation to National Guidance Fora (NGF) • Professional associations and National Guidance Fora – similarities / differences in goals and perspectives • The role of national coordinating mechanisms / NGF from a practitioners perspective • Some recommendations CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

3. Who are „the guidance practitioners“? • A professional community with a set of common aims and principles • Ethical standards • Professional behaviour • Free choice of counselling and guidance methods • Customer- /client-centered service delivery • Impartiality etc. • A heterogenius group: • Different sectors of career guidance work within different organisations with different aims, targets and functions • Full-time vs part time guidance work within the organisation • Professionals vs semi-professionals • Different background of education and training CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

4. Variety of guidance practitioners organisations • Not organised in any kind of organisation • Member of (larger) trade unions • Member in one or more professional associations • Different professional associations in one country • International professional associations (i.e. IAEVG/AIOSP) • Mixture of different memberships • Different loyalities • Professional associations as members of National Guidance Forum • Difference in power of the organisation re political influence and / or membership and / or financial power CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

5. Aims of guidance practitioners and organisations representing guidance practioners • Common professional goals • (common) goals related to working conditions (adequate salaries, working hours etc.) • Impact of membership in different organisations • Trade unions‘ aims and targets: collective bargaining for income, working conditions etc. • Common goals with other employees • Some professional goales included (i.e. guaranteed further training opportunities) • But: solidarity requires compromises • Professional associations: less power but concentration on professional goals CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

6. Role of guidance practitioners in public policy for LLG and in relation to NGF • Imprtant role in supporting public policy in the process of realising policy goals such as • Learning goals • Labour market goals • Social inclusion • Providing insight into citizen‘s and client‘s guidance needs for policy makers and service providers • Providing feedback from their clients to service providers and policy makers on issues of guidance delivey and guidance systems • Experts on developing and maintaining professional standards in guidance delivery (quality standards etc.) CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

7. Professional associations and NGF – similarities and differences in goals and perspectives (1) • Professional associations: • Membership usually restricted to professionals / practitioners working in the field of guidance • Membership oriented • Pursuing membership interests (professional lobby) • Partly pursuing general guidance poliy goals in connection with professional lobbying CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

8. Professional associations and NGF – similarities and differences in goals and perspectives (2) • National guidance fora: • Broader membership (policy makers, social partners, other stakeholders, service providers, training and reasearch institutions, customer protection organisations etc.) • Primarily pursuing policy goals for implementing a lifelong guidance strategy • Differences between „top down“ and „bottom-up“ built national fora • Partly depending on recognition by government and cooperation/ collaboration with relevant governmental or state isntitutions • Need for collaboration and compromise; lack of independance CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

9. The role of NGF from the practitioner‘s and the citizen‘s perspective • In supporting guidance practitioners‘ needs and goals • Providing a professional communication platform • Providing a platform and channel for participation and influencing guidance policies • Be aware of the different functions of professional associations and guidance fora • Guidance fora have a political function in enhancing and supporting a lifelong guidance strategy • Guidance fora are not a trade union or lobby for guidance practitioners • But: guidance practitioners associations have an important role in supporting guidance fora and enble them to express the needs of citizens, users and guidance practitioners CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

10. Some recommendations • Handbook: Clarify the different functions of professional associations and of guidance fora • Strengthen professional associations as the guidance practitioners‘ voice • Support common understanding and consensus buiding among professional associations re lifelong guidance policy strategy • Improve networks of professional associations and other practitioners‘ organisations • Integrate professional associations in guidance fora as part of the user‘s and client‘s perspective CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008

11. www.iaevg.org Thank you for your attention karen@schober-brinkmann.de CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, 4-5 June 2008