Reports of Academia Participants 2009

Reports of Academia Participants 2009 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Gerard McNamara – UK Lorraine O Donoghue – Czech Republic Michael O Shea – Spain Niamh Brennan – Finland Patricia-Ann Moore – Iceland Patricia Walters – Czech Republic Paul O’ Reilly – Finland Eoin Quinn – Iceland Deirdre Johnston - Luxembourg Participant Place: When: Ger McNamara Bradford UK 20th to 24th April 2009. 1/10 Sunday night: Mick Carey Coordinator of Careers Europe in Bradford gave an entertaining history of Bradford city. It was useful to understand the socio-economic background to Bradford’s guidance counselling service. The woollen industry which was originally a cottage industry developed into a world leader in this and other textiles which generated great wealth for this West Yorkshire region. However since the mid-20th and up to the mid 80s, Bradford has endured de-industrialisation, economic deprivation and housing problems. Since the 1950s Bradford has experienced significant levels of immigration, particularly from Pakistan, and consequently has the fourth highest proportion of Muslims in England and Wales. The city reminded me a lot of Limerick. It has a similar size city centre and was heavily dependent on one industry. (The population of the greater Bradford area is several times that of Limerick though). Monday: ‘Aspire I - Enabling individuals, organisations and communities to succeed in learning & work’ Careers information Advice and Guidance (IAG) is delivered by teams of Personal Advisers (PAs). PAs are also based in Connexions Centres (equivalent to FAS), community settings, schools, Colleges and training providers. The concept of PA equates to that of the L.E.S mediator. L.E.S Mediators/Adult GCs tend look beyond someone’s employment/career ambitions to see what barriers the client faces in their daily life before pursuing their career ambitions. L.E.S Mediators are restricted to offices in city and disadvantaged communities. My experience is that there is a vacuum in Irish service provision for early school leavers. The UK has partly addressed this issue by employing PAs. The work of the PA was a recurrent theme throughout the week. PAs work with young people (14-19) mostly, but up to 25 years old if they have special needs. PAs work with young people who are in education, employment or training (EET) and also those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). (The NEET clients appear to be the bulk of the work) PAs based in the 2 Connexions Centres work mostly with NEET clients. Young people are prioritised into three groups. T1 are individuals with intensive multiple problems eg criminal behaviour, pregnant teenager. It appears that a very big effort is made to ensure that NEET clients are tracked and encouraged into EEP. These methods could include regular meetings, working closely with the school, managing client moves between schools, attendance at Special Needs Reviews involving parents and other professionals. I think that the idea behind the P.A. role is a very good one but I was to learn that there are limited training/education opportunities for Early School Leavers in the UK too. We visited Bradford University. This university is known for its Peace Studies programme. It was suggested that Asian students value the proximity of the University over course choice. This appears to be a cultural phenomenon. I.e. live and home and remain close to family regardless of career ambitions The parts of the university that I saw felt cramped and crowded although it is a city centre campus. Career guidance has been incorporated as modules into some of the degree courses which appears to be a very good idea i.e. students are graded on their career planning etc.; I suppose that this means that students are planning their employment years before graduating from College. I think that there is potential for this type of development in Irish 3rd level but it would probably involve expanding career guidance departments. We took part in interactive career planning games. The purpose of both games was to find out how one functions in a team, i.e. what role you take within the team and learning about your communication style. I thought that the exercises were too basic for University level but I also learned that this was the most basic level and that these ‘games’ became progressively more complicated – I would have liked to have seen the more advanced levels too. I think that students would enjoy taking an interactive participation in planning their careers and most students would probably look forward to attending these classes. We were introduced to the Destinations website which was developed to assist higher education students in their career learning process. Originally designed and developed at the University of Reading 2007. Over 48 HEIs in the UK and ROI use this tool. It is in an easy to use format and has a fresh contemporary design. Tuesday: I was introduced to Ashling Coyle (PA) who I was to work-shadow. We walked to a community centre in inner city Bradford. The centre was part funded by national lottery finance and a fine place it was too. We were there to meet with a group of NEET clients (Not in Education, Employment, Training i.e. Early School Leavers). Ashling works with this group (weekly). Her primary role with this group is to encourage them to move from NEET to EEP. To do her work – Ashling has to help these young people to overcome lifestyle issues and barriers to progression and employment. Also in attendance was Penny (Sex Education Counsellor). The mixed group of 10 sat around a table. Each client had responsibility for maintaining their own file. I.e. building up individual portfolios. Ashling engaged the group through banter and allowed a lot of lee way as regards punctuality, reliability and distractions. This is a group of early school leavers with dysfunctional family backgrounds. I thought that she was very patient and energetic. On this occasion Penny did most of the presentation work. She introduced an ‘ice-breaking’ game. The participants engaged fully in the activity. Penny did a great job throughout the session and she moved seamlessly from one topic to the next despite lots of interruptions and distractions. Apparently she has been doing this work for about 10 years – she is 28. The afternoon’s work felt very integrated, purposeful and useful to the target audience. To a large extent – it was a group therapy session; the clients introduced a lot of their personal circumstances to the session. Obviously taking the opportunity to be listened to. The discussion evolved from what is a good/healthy relationships/assertiveness to contraception, sexual health/STIs. Much of this content and discussion was new to me - but I didn’t let on. Penny had a variety of materials including graphics, handouts, comprehension exercises and quizzes to maintain participant interest. This group wasn’t the easiest to work with – although they were bright - their attention span was quite limited but Penny and Ashling did a great job in getting their message across. I though that it was interesting that none of the teenagers was a parent even though UK has highest percentages of teenage parents in Europe. I know from my own work that so many Early School Leavers find childcare a very serious barrier to progression and employment. This programme appears very practical and in this particular case it looks likes it is successful although it occurred to me that they probably need dozens of these programmes running - but it is a good start. The participants were a reliable source of information to their peers. I.e. their peers come to them for advice and information. One of the participants led the discussion using a questionnaire in the final part of the programme. Wednesday: Connexions Centre Staff member -Janet emphasised the holistic concept of Aspire/Connexions/PA school structure - it is very much an integrated inter-agency approach to reaching out to young people at risk in the Bradford area eg School PAs work in the Connexions or Aspire Centres during school holidays where they can maintain contact with at risk youth. Students can drop in and visit their PA at any time. An appointment with a GC is arranged by appointment. On average 120 people per day visit each office. The connexions centres provide IAG (information, advice and guidance at their two centres in Bradford city. This isn’t limited to careers/jobs/education and training but extends to practical help with the provision of Food Parcels and Contraceptives to clients. They also offer practical help with securing housing and legal advice. There also run programmes such as budgeting/healthy living/benefits of working. They provide this practical help in exchange for the beneficiary making efforts to move towards independence through employment/training/education. 1/3 of teenagers in Bradford have serious problems including low literacy, learning difficulties, teen pregnancy. Connexions/Aspire I is charged with providing a one size fits all safety net to everyone. If you can think of a service that could be possibly provided by the departments of Health, Labour and Social Welfare – then it is is likely that Connexions/Aspire I are involved in providing this service in one form or other….this work is carried out by the Personal advisers. The Czech and Danish participants presented PowerPoint presentations on their educational systems and their roles within the system. I found all the educational systems (Czech, Danish, Lux, Fr, Sp) quite complicated in comparison with the relative simplicity of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications. The Czech participants (2) work as psychologists and 2nd level students are referred to them for psychological and psychometric testing. One of these participants is also involved in developing the Guidance Counselling service within the Czech Republic and Europe The Danish participants (2) work as Adult guidance counsellors and work in a similar way to the Adult Guidance Service in Ireland. Thursday: More Power Point presentations: The Luxembourg participant works as a psychologist in a school with >1000 participant. This school is high achieving and would be seen as a model school probably anywhere else in the world. I gave a simple presentation on the Irish Educational system paying special attention to the Irish National Framework of Qualifications within the agreed timeline. I didn’t have time to discuss my own work although it has strong correlations with the Aspire I model i.e. PAs work is similar to GC/Mediators but not as broad ranging. I think that the PAs are probably Social Workers/guidance counsellors. Is this the way that it is going in Ireland too? So many barriers to young people’s progression. Teenage pregnancy, early school leavers, illiteracy, mental problems, homelessness. We are beginning to understand that the earlier the intervention – the more successful the outcome. I.e. preschool educations with projects such as Incredible years are running in Ireland. The Bradford PAs didn’t mention these types of programmes. Early school leaving didn’t appear to be an issue in other European countries. The French presentation was complicated, protracted and made quite a few references to its Napoleonic origins. Did you know that all BAC graduates (high school) are eligible to study the discipline of their choice at the University of their choice in France? Nice people but not good time keepers. Another presentation from Aspire I. – Career direct and Labour market information. This is a busy office and among other activities they provide a call centre to job seekers, they produce job list bulletins, engage with employers. The staff collate all employment related news to identify employment trends and offer every assistance through an information service based in the Aspire offices. Three • • • levels of service to adults: Universal Service (20 minutes approx) Universal plus Service (Degree level clients) Differentiated & personalised Service. This appears to be very similar to LES/FAS service in Ireland with a combination of personal and group Information, guidance and advice service provision to job seekers. They appear to have more guidelines regarding outside referrals and time offered to job seekers. In the afternoon – we visited the Media Museum after lunch in the Town Hall restaurant. The Media museum was quite interesting and included a back office look through ancient photographs, Cameras, Movie equipment. After this tour – we had time to visit the all 4 floors of the museum which included practical interactive demonstrations on light and sound. This museum is the only tourist attraction in Bradford City Centre. Anecdotally - a city/region has to have a strong arts/entertainment culture to attract key workers/industry. Bradford has as many problems as Limerick in this regard. Friday: Spanish presentation: This wasn’t as complicated as the French presentation but it came close. I have to admit that I found the accents a little hard to comprehend. This situation could have been alleviated if the presentation had been simpler. Aspire I staff member spoke about the training of Personal Advisers. Many PAs come in by post graduate study route. The other route is through on the job training. This role is very diverse. Much of the real learning has to take place on the job and the most important consideration must be personality and energy. Joanne Meehan NEET Co-ordinator gave an overview of the NEET Network Co-ordination in Bradford. Joanne reinforced in my mind the concept that the Local Authority controlling Aspire I/Connexions has effectively become a surrogate/substitute parent to disadvantaged young people in Bradford. The medium for service provision is the personal adviser who are specialised in NEET, Housing, Special needs, Pupil referral unit, mental health services, youth services etc. The contract for this work is tendered. The amount of work is enormous for many reasons – big population >500K greater Bradford area, socio/economic breakdown. Very similar to the type of problem Academia Theme 2009: What is the message we should be giving to young people, to recent graduates, to adult learners and to career changers? Young people – Starting a family when you are a teenager isn’t a good idea especially for the limited opportunities afforded the child born to one parent teenage family– attend sex education classes in a programme similar to that offered by Ashling/Penny. Recent graduates –Acquire employable skills – if you have to do a post graduate vocational qualification to acquire more practical skills – then so be it. If you can plan your career while you are studying – all the better. Adult learners: Visit Adult Guidance Service, prepare for college by doing foundation pre-university courses. Acquire skills including good keyboard skills, MS office, study skills, driving skills – anyone one of these seemingly basic skills could be a barrier to your progression and employment. Use the careers service in your college. Career changers. Use your Adult Guidance service. Ask as many people as possible for advice before making big decisions (don’t be lazy or shy about it – what have you got to lose?) What are the career management skills we should be promoting? The more skills you have – the more likely you are to be employed and capable of living independently. I.e. not dependent on Social welfare. You will probably also have more confidence to leave Bradford/Limerick to seek career opportunities. Obviously English language mother is a major asset but acquiring proficiency in another European language opens up opportunities in this country. Why does one person become a Medical specialist and another an early school leaver? It isn’t all genetics. Aspire I /Connections are reaching out to troubled young people - probably too late though. How do we facilitate the development of those skills? Establishing a good career begins at home and in preschool. Leaving aside genetics – so much of a person’s potential depends on the family circumstances and peers that the child is born into. Improvements I enjoyed my stay in Bradford. I found the group and Aspire I staff very helpful and friendly. I think that the group gelled very week in the limited time. Obviously as you would expect from a group of guidance counsellors – I expected good inter-personal skills. I have no hesitation in recommending the programme to my colleagues. We packed a lot into the week. I think that this type of programme could benefit from a group discussion on what each participant thinks works well in their own country and what doesn’t work very well. The presentations are fine but they focused on the educational system of individual countries. Participant Place: When: Lorraine O’ Donoghue Prague, Czech Republic 6th to 11th April 2009. 2/10 Summary of Exchange Programme: I went on my Academia Study Visit to Prague in the Czech Republic in April. The theme for the visit was “Career Management Skills.” There were eleven participants who came from Denmark, France, Scotland, Spain, U.K and Ireland. Participants gave presentations throughout the week on their own education and guidance systems and work activities. The week’s programme included visits to two Educational and Psychological Counselling Centres, a primary school, a private grammar school, a vocational training centre and two Labour Offices in and around Prague. These visits gave us an insight into how Guidance Counselling is understood and organised in the Czech Republic. We heard about the work of those involved in guidance activities and saw firsthand the resources and facilities available to clients. We also had the opportunity to ask questions during these visits. Benefits of the exchange: • Learning about Guidance Counselling practice in other European Countries Participants’ Countries: I found it informative to hear from the other participants about their work and their qualifications. I was not aware that in other European countries a psychologist is tasked with conducting guidance counselling activities in schools including psychometric and diagnostic testing. I was intrigued to hear about France, Spain and the Czech Republic and how they contrast with Ireland as regards qualifications and work practices. One of the participants from Spain has a degree in Law as he is involved in delivering two vocational guidance modules 1) Labour training and guidance and 2) Enterprise and entrepreneurship. Students learn about employment law and rights as well as developing skills to work in teams and develop business ideas. I thought that this was good practice, especially in the current economic climate that all students had the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills for their future working lives. The participant from Scotland spoke about her work in developing a new curricular framework for the Scottish educational system which speaks of developing skills for learning, life and work (ltsscotland.org.uk) (skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk). Her presentation was particularly interesting as she asked us to reflect on how we would facilitate a client to explore and develop their skills to reach their goal or dream. Czech Republic: As regards the host country, the Czech Republic, it was interesting to see that Guidance Counselling was conducted outside of the school environment for the most part as there aren’t dedicated Psychologists in most schools. The Educational and Psychological Counselling Centres we visited provide students and parents with access to many different supports in one building including special needs teachers, social workers and psychologists. We met a psychologist who specialises in working with gifted students. We visited one primary school which is fortunate to have a full-time psychologist. He engaged students in group work and was also involved in conducting guidance and career education with students using a battery of tests and diagnostic instruments. There was an eleven stage process which involves screening of self-esteem, stress management and possible learning difficulties as well as for example looking at IQ, personality, and value of education in the family. I thought that this was good practice as he was not just focusing on aptitudes but developing a profile of the student. I saw the value for students as this approach compliments the inflexible education system as students needed to make important subject choices at fifteen. This approach would give them the best information to make decisions especially for those intending to go to grammar schools and on to third level. In contract to Ireland, it was interesting that if students wanted to look for education and/or career information they would either go as a class or individually to their local Labour Office. Adult clients would also use the same information facilities. I got to visit two information rooms and see how they were laid out as regards resources. Students could also access information on local second level schools around final destinations of students on a web portal. I found it interesting that students were encouraged to research which school they would like to attend especially if they were considering further education. Schools attended education and career fairs locally to promote themselves both to parents and students. Ongoing Professional Development: Labour Office Guidance Staff Guidance Practitioners working in Labour Offices every five years must attend training around burnout and self-care which I thought was good practice. As regards in-service training some of the areas that staff mentioned included group work, communication skills, working with difficult clients, human resource management and economic issues. I was interested to hear about the areas they had received training in as this reflected what elements of their work they identified as requiring further training. Learning about the labour markets abroad: Czech Republic I gained an insight into the current labour market in the Czech Republic. When we visited the two Labour Offices there were display units outside indicating the nationalities seeking work and what types of employment was available. Inside the Labour Offices we saw the various resources such as the extensive A to Z profile of jobs, DVDs and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website (English version) (http://www.mpsv.cz/en/) (http://portal.mpsv.cz/sz/obcane). The website has a job search facility in English which has a menu that includes education level and sections for targeted groups eg visually impaired and underage jobseekers. The week we visited there was a career fair in Prague with 100 companies. The increasing numbers of Czech workers returning home for work in Prague from Ireland was mentioned by one of the staff in the Labour Office in Prague. Employers work closely with Labour Offices around recruiting staff and in turn labour offices subsidise the wages of those taken on by certain businesses. Labour Offices also provides training to employers on employment law. Promoting Social Integration: Labour Offices work particularly with groups at risk of social exclusion the long-term unemployed, young jobseekers (15 -25 years), those with disabilities, young mothers and women under 40. Job clubs particularly targeted these groups and supported them to progress to one year contracts to gain some work experience. It was good to hear about the targeted work that they do with these groups. Impact on my own practice: The experience made me think about the value of the variety of tools that are being used with students who have access to them in the Czech Republic. Could this approach be of use to me in working with adult clients? Is having a background in Psychology something useful for guidance work? I suppose I came back asking a lot of questions. I felt that the work I am doing is always evolving and perhaps as we have found in the past psychometrics hasn’t been part of our practice with adult clients for reasons of literacy and past school experiences. If students or adults had access to a process such as was described in the visit to the primary school would that aid people to be clearer about their “vocational self” and in developing their career management skills in the long term? Personal Benefits of the Exchange: ‐ The exchange afforded me the opportunity to do some research and present my thoughts on Career Management Skills to a European audience including our host who is co-coordinating this theme for the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network. ‐ I met ten other guidance practitioners from around Europe and heard about their work and learned how Guidance Counselling is viewed in their countries. In turn they learnt about my work as an Adult Educational Guidance counsellor in Ireland and asked me questions which gave me a chance to reflect on my work. I now have a new network of colleagues as a result of my Academia visit. I had the chance to visit the beautiful city of Prague and meet and speak with those who engage in guidance activities in various educational settings. This led me to reflect on access to Guidance Counselling from primary school up as laid down in the Guidance Framework. I also had the opportunity to speak some French with the French participants and learn a few new words. ‐ ‐ Comments/Improvements: ‐ I would recommend Academia to my peers in Guidance as it is a great opportunity to visit another country and see how guidance counselling is viewed and practiced there. You meet fellow guidance practitioners from other countries and you can look at your own work with new insights and experiences. ‐ I think that there should be time for reflection during your visit so that when the end of the week comes you have some ideas or thoughts formulated which can be used for your qualitative report. I had spent some time researching the theme of the visit and thought that we would have had more time to discuss our presentations. I felt that there should have been more Academia Exchanges offered that focus on working with adult clients. Although I enjoyed visiting the primary and secondary schools while in Prague and found it quite interesting I felt that I benefited most from the visits to the two Labour Offices as they work with similar target groups and I could draw parallels between their work and my work as an Adult Educational Guidance counsellor. ‐ Participant Place: When: Michael O’Shea Aragon, Zaragoza 30th March to 3rd April 2009. 3/10 Benefits of the exchange: The exchange allowed me to experience the orientation process applied in the Spanish Education, particularly the links between the Vocational Education Sector and Business. In many ways, the Spanish educational system covers much of the training that FAS would cover in Ireland. Furthermore, the Vocational sector would focus much on labour needs analysis and works with enterprises in the training of people who will be able to meet labour market requirements. I came away from the placement with the view that, in terms of Adult Education provision, Ireland has much to offer over its European counterparts. So much so that some of my Spanish counterparts have expressed a wish to come to Ireland in order to experience the Irish system. The learning for me was threefold. Firstly, all European states have been forced to address the same issues concerning unemployment and retraining. However, each state has applied practices which will address their unique concerns. Secondly, in the Spanish system, qualification does not necessarily equate to certification. I feel the Irish system has much to offer in terms of formal accreditation. Thirdly, the Spanish Education System has established greater links with the business and enterprise. This level of networking has proved beneficial with respect to onthe-job training and work placement. Very often, work placements can progress onto long-term contracts. The Spanish Education System has also links with the banking system. Students intending to open their own business can benefit from this links. This is one facility the Irish Education system could explore further. Personal Benefits of the exchange: One personal benefit gained from the Academia programme was that of exposure to another system. I not only gained knowledge from the experience but also gained a greater appreciation for the Irish system. A second benefit was that of networking. I have begun the early stages of establishing an exchange programme with one particular centre in Zaragoza. I feel the Academia programme has helped me in the further development of my professional skills and has allowed me appreciate the good the Irish AEGI services do. Participant Place: When: Niamh Brennan Joensu, Finland 6th to 10th March 2009. 4/10 In March this year I arrived to Joensuu in Finland just 60 km from the Russian border to take part in the Academia programme. We arrived to temperatures of minus 5 degrees Celsius on a Sunday evening where our first meeting was an informal introduction to our hosts and the other participants from various parts of Europe. From the outset the programme was well structured and carefully organized and it was obvious from seeing the plan for the week ahead that a lot of thought has been put into accommodating our individual needs. Working in the Adult Guidance sector in a rural part of Ireland I was curious to compare and contrast guidance provision in Finland. From my research I was aware that to have a high level of education for all citizens is an integral part of the Finnish education system. 85% of people between 25 and 34 years of age have a post-compulsory school degree or qualification and more than 50% of the working age population participates in adult education. I was also aware that in the North Karelian region is quite sparsely populated in parts. The week consisted of centre visits, social events, lectures and workshops. My first visit was to North Karelia University of Applied Sciences (UAS) which would be similar to Institutes of Technology in Ireland. The main function of the UAS is of course to provide quality education but regional development is also high on their agenda. They have developed a Regional University that aims to improve higher education opportunities to adults living in sparsely populated areas, to offer consulting and counseling services to this population and to answer the training and development needs of industry and commerce. The consultation and counseling process is central to education provision in this programme and there are several outreach workers visiting rural and isolated communities to create a support network for adult students. While the Guidance Counselling within the UAS is mainly support around the content of their study, study skills and provision of information, guidance provision in the outreach programme has a Pre-Guidance and ongoing networking and support orientation. My next visit was to a pilot lifelong guidance and counseling service known as AIVO funded by the ESF. This is a collaborative project with various adult education providers in the region and the local employment offices. It aims to be a one stop shop for adults wishing to return to or continue with their education. This service has many similarities to the AEGI but has no specific target groups and is open to every member of the public. They objective is to use a ‘low threshold’ service where their approach is gentle, empowering and supportive as the learner will choose how much or how little guidance or assistance they need. They may only avail of the information service and/or use of the computers or they may begin to engage with a guidance counsellor for one or several sessions. My final visit was to a very innovative and different guidance service. Known as Karelian Consulting, this privately run centre provided individual and group guidance to the employment services and other education providers. I observed one class of early school leavers who were taking part in a career investigation exercise. I felt that I could have been in a guidance class with a similar group of young people anywhere in Ireland; aside from the difference in the language being spoken, the only difference was that each student had an individual mini lap top to do their research on! We were quite surprised at the level of resources available to students throughout our stay. The uniqueness of this service was that the Managing Director of the centre noticed that there were some clients with severe learning, physical and mental health difficulties that were finding it very difficult to get work in mainstream employment. He decided to set up a business within the centre buying and importing religious artifacts and employed two of his clients to run the operation. He now has expanded this side venture to include a cleaning service and a marketing and research department all staffed by past clients of the centre. His approach is quite different to what we are used to and could almost be described as a high support service. From my visit I could see many similarities in guidance provision between Finland and Ireland. One of the striking differences in relation to education provision is that the Finnish Education ministry will pay fees on behalf of adults in part time and distance education and for those who wish to take on a second undergraduate course. This makes the financial barriers to education less severe to adults. However a gap that seemed to be highlighted to me during my time there is a lack of support for people with learning difficulties and other more specific needs in the system. Some guidance counseling students who accompanied us on our visits expressed a concern about not feeling prepared for having to deal with personal and emotional issues of students and this is where I think our own guidance model is very valuable. Overall a great experience that I would recommend to any Guidance counsellor who can commit to a week away. It is a busy and hectic time with a lot packed into a few days but I had some new experiences that I will not forget, not least a visit to the famous Finnish Sauna! Participant Place: When: Patricia Anne Moore Reykjavik, Iceland 20th to 24th April 2009. 5/10 Arriving into Keflavik at the dead of night to a physically hostile environment, apparently a frozen barren wasteland where the only signs of life we would see in the landscape would be Icelandic horses…Beneath the crusty surface volcanic energy is bubbling away providing geothermal free heating and electricity-would harnessing it for export be a possible solution to Iceland’s economic blues? After a pleasant flight in with budget airline Iceland Express everything in the airport, well after midnight, worked. The ATM, getting return bus tickets for 4000 Icelandic kroner (about €25, half the price of a taxi) smooth transfer at the bus station- it all worked. We were in the foyer of the Hotel Fron on the main drag an hour later. My monk like room with a single bed like a shelf and nowhere to put my belongings seemed to have a problem with its drains. I soon learn that this was the smell of sulphur in the water which played havoc with hair styles … Next morning it was off to the National Library on foot past small wooden or tin buildings , nothing high rise, which reminded me of Norway(in fact a lot of the wood and presumably building designs had been imported from Norway and the UK as there are virtually no trees in Iceland.) There I met 14 colleagues – from Spain, France, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, and the Czech Republic and two from Ireland. The labour market in Iceland Our coordinator Dora Steffansdottir gave us a presentation about the labour market in Iceland distinguished by the fact that people don’t seem to retire at the legal retirement age of 67 but work on until they are in their seventies. At the present time Iceland has moved from full employment in October 08 to increasing levels of unemployment with attendant increased demand for guidance and employment services. The economic situation was variously referred to as ‘the crises and ‘the chaos’. Describing the economy of Iceland Dora said that the main industry had been fisheries. This had declined over the last few years-for instance in 1991, 10.2% of workers had been employed in agriculture and fisheries, down to 8.3% in 2000 and only 4% in 2006. Employment in industry in 1991 was 26%, 23% in 2000 and 20.1% in 2006. In contrast the service sector had 63.9% employment in 1991, 68.7% in 2000 and an increase of 75.2% in 2006. Out of a working population of 184,100, 140,600 (82.6%) were in active labour, with about 5,500 (3%) unemployed, working an average of 41.6 hours a week. A surprising fact is that although women are still having a lot of children in Iceland, all of them seem to go back to work, with a very small percentage electing to stay at home. When asked about childcare arrangements, Dora implied that this could be difficult with women relying on family to look after the children. She said that some Kindergartens were now accepting babies at 9 months old, where previously it had been from the age of 2. Dora indicated that there was a high percentage of people going to University now, more women than men. 28% of people leave school to go to work without taking a degree. She said that women were more likely to go to University than men, and reported that girls tended to do better in school than boys, so therefore have more options for professional careers. The drop-out rate in upper Secondary School was high (ages 1620), and men were more likely to leave education than women at this stage. Careers for girls and boys seemed to be very stereotypical ie she talked about jobs for boys such as the Building Sector, Sea Officers, Technology and IT, whereas girls favoured careers in areas such as the health sector, teaching (Pedagogy), Languages, Art and Design. It was felt that this could be attributed to the fact that in the past it had been relatively easy to secure employment and Iceland had been a very money centred society; a greed culture was apparent. More people were now going back to University, but found if they studied full time they were not entitled to any benefit. Politics and economics There have been many changes in Iceland recently especially in the position of women, where there is greater participation by women in governance and politics. Women academics head up departments in Universities, women ministers are leading government departments and at present predominate in the cabinet. Despite this women are still paid less than their male colleagues. She also told us that the current left wing Icelandic government had 50% of women in the cabinet and had a female Prime Minister for the first time. She said when people received unemployment benefit they got 80% of their salary for the first three months, and then 117 thousand crooner per month thereafter (the current exchange rate is 155 is kr to the Euro.). She said that many people owned their own homes, and indicated that even if the family home was repossessed because of the current crisis, the family would still have to pay off the mortgage. Attitudes to the EU The attitude of Icelanders to the EU seems to be that they are pretty much split 50/50 on the question of membership. However several of the training schemes we visited – in particular a scheme for people with mental health issues- seemed to depend on EU funding. In the current economic climate it made me wonder if the balance might not tip more in favour of membership as it was hard to see where replacement funding might be coming from once the EU funding ran out. Education and training Iceland has adopted a lifelong learning approach to its education system. pre-primary education between the ages of 1-5, primary/compulsory education for 10 years from 6 to 16 (special education) Upper secondary education for 2-4 years from ages 16-20. Students who have achieved academic qualifications go to Upper Secondary School, and those with lower level qualifications or wanting more vocational options go to the Technical College. Some go to the Technical College to resit qualifications in Icelandic, Maths and English. Many adults work after Upper Secondary School, and may go back to University in their 40s or 50s to retrain, or attend the many Adult Learning Centres. Education is paid for by participants in Iceland, from Upper Secondary school upwards. However, this is a smaller fee than in the UK, and loans are also available. It was indicated that loans could remain outstanding for many years or even not paid at all. We visited various educational and training establishments. Education in Iceland is compulsory between 6 and 16; after that young people can attend a kind of vocational school for four years or choose to stay on at Upper Secondary school and go to University for which they pay. In the vocational school we visited I was struck by the level of attention paid to developing dressmaking/designing skills using materials like felt, knitting, and different kinds of textiles. There was a real emphasis on creativity –music making, painting and drawing were also very much on the agenda. This was echoed in town by the number of young people running their own design boutiques and craft shops selling jewellery and gifts. Guidance in Iceland On Tuesday 31st our lecture took place in the University and our first Lecturer was Agusta Ingborsdottir, Chair of the Icelandic Education and Vocational Guidance association. She addressed us on ‘Career Guidance in Iceland’. She told us that a new law had been passed on 30 March, saying that Advisers could not call themselves Careers Counsellor’s unless they had a Masters Degree in Careers Counselling, studied over a 2 year period. She said this was a huge step forward for the professionalisation of guidance counselling as before this legislation teachers or other professionals not trained in guidance counselling could also say they were educational and vocational counsellors, as it had been a cheaper option to use untrained teachers in the role. The Icelandic Educational and Vocational Guidance Association were established in 1981, and had its 25th anniversary in 2006. There are around 300 members. The formal system of education and training is primary, upper-secondary and tertiary education, regional employment services, the regional centres for Lifelong learning and companies and private enterprises. The working environment has developed and changed considerably in Iceland, and association members feel it is important to have a solid and permanent association to exchange views, clarify their frame of work and ensure continuous training. Because of the change in society in Iceland, the need for educational and vocational guidance has increased, and there has been a greater range of study options and a growing need for educational and vocational guidance to be developed further. The Icelandic Parliament has passed four new laws in 2008: • • • • The The The The Pre-primary School Act Compulsory School Act Upper-Secondary School Act Act on education and training Guidance in compulsory Schools There is a right to educational and vocational counselling to be carried out by specialists in the field. The supply of professional counselling varies, and access is easier in and around Reykjavik. Around 30% of all compulsory schools currently do not offer any form of counselling. Guidance in Upper Secondary Schools Students have the right to educational and vocational counselling carried out by specialists in the field. Adults have access to the same guidance service. This is a preventative measure which helps people to utilise their potential in studies or at work. There appears to be a high drop-out rate from upper-secondary schools, which emphasises the added need for counselling. There is now more attention on disadvantaged groups such as young unemployed people, and youths who have dropped out of school. Guidance in Universities All Universities offer some form of Guidance. Guidance for Adults The Regional Centres for Lifelong Learning give guidance to people living in their communities, and some guidance can be available through human resource departments. Workplaces In smaller workplaces, Trade Unions may offer career planning, lifelong learning courses and an update in skills. They may also provide leaflets or a newsletter, access to confidential representatives or contracted Counsellors. In the larger work places Human Resource Departments may have a Training Manager with a background in the field of education, psychology and business. There may also be Graduated school counsellors, who are training managers, coaches, educational officers or department specialists. Unemployed Adults The Guidance services are run by Public Employment Services – this is state funded. There are 9 Employment Services, whose main tasks are to assist job applicants and the unemployed, provide information or counselling on career development, career pathways and educational or vocational opportunities. The Association has a goal, to continue enforcing the role of the Association and to work towards making educational and vocational counsellors more visible in the Icelandic society. The professional base of educational and vocational counselling The number of educational and vocational counsellors has grown rapidly. A person cannot use the title Educational and Vocational counsellor without the authorisation of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. There is a professional demand for Guidance and Counselling. Their skills are useful in more than just the school system – there is a need for software giving good public information, as there is a lack of guidance material at the moment. We then had a talk by Sif Einarsdottir, Associate Professor at the Programme in Career Counselling and guidance, of the University of Iceland. Sif said she was educated in the USA, as was the case with a lot of guidance workers. Sif informed us that the Career Counselling Association was founded in 1981. Courses offered were within the education program from 1983. The Ministry of Education appointed a guidance representative between 1989 and 1991 and a 2 year task force was set up in career counselling and guidance between 1990 and 1992. Career counselling has been included in laws about education from 1995. Sif said that the Career Counselling and guidance program was formally founded in the Education department in 1990, and Guobjorg Vilhjalmsdottir was hired in 1991 as program co-coordinator and teacher. Based on the work of the committee, an emphasis was placed on career guidance in schools and the program is based on four foundations – Career Counselling and Guidance, Careers Education, Personal Counselling, Research and Development. She said there was a 2 year Masters Degree to be a Guidance counsellor, and also a one year graduate Diploma. She indicated that many people coming into this type of work had either got an Educational or Social Science background. The courses offered for Diploma are Career Counselling, Interviewing techniques, Careers education, Study Techniques, Personal and Social Problems of Students, Measurement and Assessment and Practical Training. She said that although Careers Counselling was readily available in and around Reykjavik through Schools, Colleges, Universities and Adult Learning Centres, the outlying fishing villages and other small towns missed out on guidance opportunities. A need for careers education in upper secondary schools was established and started in a few Gymnasiums. Social and personal A highlight of the visit for me was going to the site of the ancient parliament at Pingvettlir – the history of how Icelanders made and gave their laws reminded me of the Brehon laws here in Ireland. We also saw the hot springs which provided the world with the word ‘geysers’ although they didn’t spout when I was watching! In the evening we then continued with our Excursion to Geyser, Laugarvatn and the National Park at Pingvellir. We then went to Giggja Arnadottir’s house for fish soup, drinks and chocolate cake. This lady was really hospitable and a person who lived life to the full; she was a painter, a singer, a cook, a grandmother and a teacher – and made us all feel very much at home. We had been warned about how expensive Iceland was but in real terms it was about the same price to eat out as it would be in Ireland. Alcohol was more expensive than in Ireland but not as expensive as in Norway. The cost of living apart from alcohol was broadly comparable with Ireland although as we were not shopping for everyday items such as food it‘s hard to judge that. I found people in Iceland to be warm, friendly, hospitable, cultured, proud of their history, creative and efficient. I basked in the swimming pools we visited, including the famous Blue Lagoon- which were so much a part of life for them – they visit one almost every day on the way to work or on the way home – and enjoy the heated waters even though a blizzard could be blowing into their faces. I enjoyed hearing a performance of Haydn’s ‘The Creation’ given by the National Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic Choir and the fact that all ages of musicians were represented in both; I loved the Scandinavian houses and the cosiness of the interiors lit with candles and sometimes fairy lights to welcome people in; I enjoyed the rock concert I went to where the Faeroe Islands’ singer’s style reminded me of Sinead O’Connor as a Viking, with high cheekbones and long blonde hair, and whose last album was produced by Donal Lunny; I enjoyed the meals we shared from Thai to smorgasbord; I enjoyed the cosy pubs and friendly welcome. So much so that, as my husband has been invited to lecture (on European integration) at the University summer school, I am looking forward to going back at the end of June where we hope to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in the light of the Midnight Sun. (With acknowledgement and thanks to my UK colleague Gill Tate for help with stats and sociology!) Participant Place: When: Patricia Walter Prague, Czech Republic 20th to 24th April 2009. 6/10 My placement took place in Prague in April hosted by the Educational and Psychological Counselling Institute. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the Czech system of guidance counselling and also of networking with Guidance counsellors from the UK, Denmark, Spain and France. During the placement we visited three schools, one primary school, a private secondary school and a vocational school. Every school is obliged by law to have a position of Educational Counsellor; these are teachers who are allocated approx. three hours a week to guidance. However it is thought that only about 40% of these teachers have any training in the area and it was acknowledged that three hours is very little time to carry out the guidance function. Our hosts were quite amazed to learn that in Ireland each school has a full time Guidance counsellor for every 500 students. I came to realize how advanced our system is and the importance that is placed on the guidance service in our schools. In the Czech Republic the guidance counselling function as we know it is carried out by Psychologists, there is no training as such for Guidance counsellors. Of the 6,000 schools in the Czech Republic only approx. 150 have school Psychologists. What struck me about this arrangement is that the jobs is very broad, not only are the Psychologists involved in testing to identify special educational needs as our Educational Psychologists are, but they are also responsible for administering psychometric tests, dealing with at risk behaviour and providing Educational and Career Guidance. From my observations during our visit there is a huge emphasis on psychometric testing in the Czech republic (I.Q. testing, personality testing, interest inventories etc), in one school we visited the Psychologist mentioned that he would have amassed about 10 tests per pupil by the time they go to make their decisions about 3rd level. Much of the guidance in the Czech Republic is done in special Educational and Psychological Counselling Centre, school children and adults go to the centres for testing and advice. Parents appear to have a bigger role to play in the student’s decisions about entering higher education. When a student visits the Educational and Guidance Counselling Centre they are accompanied by their parents and one comment that stuck out in my mind from a member of staff was “it is a bonus if the student agrees with the decision of their Parents and the Counsellor”. We visited a Labour office in Prague which is similar to FAS in Ireland and they were involved in hosting a three day careers fair. A large number of companies had stands at the fair and were recruiting staff. In our economic climate it is hard to imagine that such a fair could be hosted here now, the job situation appears to be still healthy in the Prague area in particular. My overall experience was very positive. Not only did I learn about the Czech system but I also learned a lot from the systems in the other participant’s countries. I had the opportunity of discussing the pros and cons of all of our methods and organisational structures. The system of training Guidance counsellors is quite different in each country, in Denmark there is no specific training in Guidance Counselling, in France Guidance counsellors must have a Masters degree in Psychology and train for a further year to become Guidance counsellors. Shivaun asked me if I would recommend an Academia Exchange to my peers and my answer is yes definitely. I stayed on for a few days after the exchange and I got to visit a lot of the tourist sites that I had spent the week running past. I would recommend that anyone who is doing an exchange to a country they haven’t been to before should take a few days before or after the visit to explore the area otherwise the frustration will drive you mad! I would like to thank Shivaun and Jasmin our host in Prague for all their hard work in organising the exchange, you made it look very easy which is the sign of a real pro! Participant Place: When: Paul O’ Reilly Joensu, Finland 6th to 10th March 2009. 7/10 BACKGROUND What’s all this about? Another junket? Actually no …. It’s called CPD (Continuous Professional Development to ordinary mortals) ACADEMIA is an EU programme for international visits for Guidance counsellors and is jointly administered by the NCGE and LEARGAS. LEARGAS is the national agency that administers EU funding for education-related exchanges, visits, etc. for things educational. See leargas.ie. Under various programmes, schools can benefit from funding for pupil and teacher exchanges, our Language Assistants and of course study visits for Guidance. All teachers are free to access such initiatives eg Language courses in other EU countries. WHY FINLAND? As many of us are aware by now, the Nordic countries perform particularly well in international education comparison tables (Ireland not as well as we’d like to think) and Finland especially is in the top three in most of these tables eg See ‘Education at a Glance’ recently published by the OECD. In the area of Guidance, the Finnish system is very well regarded. These countries are characterised by a spirit of social inclusion and high investment in areas of society such as education and health. In Finland they believe that education is key to social inclusion and this of course reduces social problems in later life. OK, SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED? Well, the visit took place in a town called Joensuu situated not far from the Russian border, about an hour’s flight north of Helsinki. About ten Guidance counsellors from all over Europe converged there. The five days we spent there were tightly scheduled (nobody socialised – we were all very serious). Two of them were spent in areas that each of us had a particular interest in – I chose to spend mine in secondary schools and the rest were in the local university where we had lectures, workshops, discussions and so forth, again all very well organised (and serious). SO WHAT DID I LEARN? Quite a lot actually. Here are some of the main points, in no particular order … • In Ireland, we’re pretty much up to speed with international best practice in the area of Guidance, except I would suggest in the area of pupil GC ratio which can be up to 1:500 or beyond in many schools. Fortunately, in Waterpark we have benefited from the Guidance Enhancement Initiative (GEI) which has kept that ratio more or less at the Finnish level. Kids don’t start school until 7 and as a result don’t finish upper secondary or go on to higher education until they’re that bit older (18 or 19). They spend their time being kids (great fun apparently). Education is regionally administered (local government is real) and so flexibility is built into the system. Religious involvement in education at any level does not exist and all schools are co-ed. Mention of single-sex education is usually met with a slightly astonished look. At the end of basic education (age 16) students must apply to an upper secondary school of their choice or vocational training. Similarly with university or polytechnic. Technology is part of everyday teaching in the schools I visited (and across the country). All classes have data projectors, high-speed internet access and a computer. This is then integrated into the lesson seamlessly (and or course, everything works!). At university level, teleconferencing is not unusual and so students in classrooms at opposite ends of the country can link up and be taught by one teacher, interact, share ideas, etc. Class periods are longer – 70 to 80 minutes with a 10 to 15 minute interval in between during which students can mill around in the corridors, lounging areas and chat. This slows the pace of school life down and encourages reflection as well as taking pressure off teachers. • • • • • • • • • Class contact for subject teachers is 15 to25 hours per week depending on the time of the year (which is divided in 5). The summer holidays are slightly shorter as are the Easter holidays. Lunch is provided on site free of charge. From what I could see, class size seemed to be about 1:20/25 In one of the schools I visited, I spent a period with a class of non-nationals / refugees. They had been taken out of mainstream and given a specialist teacher who was with them all day every day. Their level of Finnish amazed me given the time they had been in the country. I imagined however that a price was being paid in term of their integration. Education is free of charge from start to finish – up to doctorate level. CPD is integral to the teaching profession there. Participant Place: When: Eoin Quinn Rejkavik, Iceland March 30th to April 3rd 2009. 8/10 I attended the academia exchange on Adult Guidance in Iceland. My purpose in going was to share ideas with Icelandic Guidance counsellors and the other European participants. It was interesting to observe and discuss the role of guidance as a voice and advocate for change. It became clear to me that guidance has a role in adapting to and communicating the changing needs of learners and workers to our respective governments. There was a consensus about the immediate need for guidance counsellors/respective bodies to reach out to, consult with, support and inform people unemployed and disengaged as a result of the economic downturn across Europe. The group discussed the reality that there may not be places for people in their desired choices yet through guidance we should strive to get them engaged in some form of education/work eg computers/voluntary work. I was struck by the project in Iceland on the ‘Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning’. I think that this is a complex issue but could be very useful in the current situation if handled correctly. The project started in 2004 and is still under review in Iceland. The idea is that people can get recognition by employers and educators for their competence gained from work experience, work related learning, informal and formal learning, community activities and family life. Guidance counsellors play a key role by helping people to identify their strengths, gather information, document and present their competencies to potential employers and educators. The success of this process depends on the openness of employers to this competency process as evidence of ability against the traditional academic system. There were resonances here with the talk by Hrobjartur Anason on the ‘Teacher Certification Programme’ in Iceland. Skilled and experienced workers have been brought into schools as teachers on their particular trade, service or industry. In the current climate this could provide a multitude of unemployed skilled workers eg, craftsmen, with the opportunity to gain employment and potentially get involved in improving their own skills outside their area of expertise. Other advantages discussed are that these workers relate well to students, know the realities of the work place and bring a different point of view to the education system. I was impressed with the rapport that we witnessed between teachers and pupils at national secondary schools and a vocational centre for young adults at risk. A centre for young adults was the innovation of businessman from Reykjavik. It engages young people in vocational training and employment and provides them with an income. Individuals there, work in the web design, kitchen, packaging, electrical appliance and recycling sections. I remember the student focus as there was a basement area with an electric guitar and a drum kit where the students could play music during their break. Guidance for Adults is broken up between Primary and Secondary Education (Adults returning) Regional Lifelong Learning Centres, Workplaces and Public Employment Services. Work related guidance is also structured around corporations for employees. Trade unions encourage their members to link in with lifelong learning centres which offer both educational and vocational guidance. The focus is on improving skills, developing a career plan and increasing accessibility to employment. The Technical colleges focus on the industry’s that are most common and successful in Iceland, eg fishing, electric technology, design and crafts, engineering etc. There is a direct link for graduates into work in companies attached to the Technical College. At present there are no free courses or funding available for the unemployed to access education of any sort. For many years there has been a 0% unemployment rate among the 300,000 approx population. The talk by Alpjodahus Intercultural Centre was interesting in that there is guidance and information provided on all issues for immigrants. The language barrier is an obstacle in Iceland yet there were a high number of immigrants especially from Poland up until the recent crash. There are signs up around Reykjavík saying ‘Thank you for staying’ as the majority of the approximately 1200 Polish immigrants have emigrated. It was interesting to see the evolution of and current development guidance within Iceland (Icelandic Ed and Voc Guidance Association IEVGA est. 1981), Estonia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Spain and England. On the second day of the exchange a law was passed which made it a requirement to have a Masters Degree in order to practise as a guidance counsellor under the Ministry of Education in Iceland. There are 300 members of the IEVGA spread across the formal education system, employment services, private industrial institutes and what are known as lifelong learning centres, which most resemble VEC Adult Guidance Services. The IEVGA are currently developing a national database for client information, pedagogical and guidance related resources. Icelandic guidance study and practise is heavily influenced by American models of guidance while participants from Estonia, Spain and France are influenced by writers like Peter Plant, Norman Amundssen and Vance Peavey. The other participants work as career guidance counsellors, education programme co-ordinators and there was one educational psychologist. We noted that it would be useful to have a European guidance website where practitioners could share ideas, national strategies and resources that work for them on the ground in one to one and group guidance. At present there is no requirement for guidance counsellors to hold a relevant postgraduate qualification in Estonia. The participants from Estonia suggested the idea of a European standardised qualification for guidance counsellors. We did what was a fitting session on Mind Locks or obstacles in Learning. This is involves thinking outside our intuitive, rational and aesthetic barriers. I found this useful and practical in that I can become more aware of the limiting assumptions I may make about rules, logic, practicality, expertise, creativity etc. In reflecting upon and tackling my own mind locks I may look outside the box for options, support and encourage learners to do so. The group made a number of other recommendations. One that I would make is for the organiser (excellent though she was) to be a guidance counsellor working on the ground with learners. We did a lot on the education and guidance system but little on the process of working with learners and useful resources for group and one to one guidance. I would also have liked to have had more access to learners to see how guidance works for them. One suggestion made by the group was cultural awareness training for guidance counsellors. Jill from England mentioned a Muslim awareness training day which she found very useful. A similar approach could be taken in Ireland as a way of reaching out to and supporting marginalised communities eg travellers, foreign nationals etc. My experience on the exchange was coloured by the Irish education and guidance system and my own way of working within what is relatively small catchment of Dun Laoghaire. I feel that the Irish system of guidance within the VECs can further improve its outreach support work and openness to people from all levels of the education and backgrounds. I must say that the guidance system in Ireland is a quality system and we have reached a much more advanced stage in our development in comparison to the other participating countries and indeed Iceland. What is the message we should be giving to young people, to recent graduates, to adult learners and to career changers? The general message that we as guidance counsellors is that we are advocates for them in the world of education and work, we listen and support in helping them toward steering their own decisions in education and work. We should make it clear that there may not always be the desired or most suitable education/work opportunities available to them at present but that it is vital to get involved in some form of education or work and that we will do our best in supporting them in this endeavour. We should try to maximise and promote the energy within learners at all stages to explore unconsidered options, be entrepreneurs, and get involved in being a success in their community and making their community a success. I think the main focus should be on education, training or voluntary work so people can gain the skills they need or add to what they already have so that they may have more choice when employment options begin to increase again. What are the career management skills we should be promoting? With the recent downturn and the major lack of employment possibilities we should be encouraging people to first reflect on who they are, what are they interested in, what skills do they have and how can they apply them to some form of education/work at the current time. We should promote people to become self-aware, reflect upon, know and promote their skills, abilities, interests, talents, education, work and life experiences to potential employers and educators. We should be promoting the idea of a career/education plan. We should promote an activeness and self advocacy around where to go, who to speak to in their desired fields of study or work. We should also promote useful websites and access to computer classes, information and access to entrepreneur groups eg enterprise Ireland. We should think about the idea of bringing skilled and experienced workers into the education system as instructors/teachers in their field to share experiences and impart their knowledge of the workplace. This could be done on a voluntary basis and fed into tutor panels and re-educating these workers to become tutors themselves. How do we facilitate the development of those skills? We should be first supporting people with a personal profile on their strengths and the depth of their education, work and life experience with a view to feeding a CV and a familiarity in promoting themselves with potential employers, educating bodies etc. We should advise and support people in developing a practical, realistic and self-affirming career plan that may include training or returning to education at the initial phase. It may also be useful for the learner to do a presentation on themselves their skills and why they want to do this type of study or work within a guidance session. Although it is difficult to predict the way things will go I think it is important for us as guidance counsellors to come together to discuss practicalities around what employment sectors are predicted to maintain or increase employee numbers in the coming years. Participant Place: When: Deirdre Johnston Luxembourg 11th to 16th May 2009. 9/10 In May this year I spent one week in Luxembourg on an Academia exchange programme. Academia is a network of European guidance organisations that organises exchange programmes for guidance practitioners in participating countries. It is funded by the European Commission through the Leonardo da Vinci Programme. The National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) processes applications from Irish guidance practitioners to participate in placement in Europe and is also the Irish host organisation for the 'Guidance in Ireland programme'. The aim of the exchange is to provide guidance practitioners with a direct experience of the European dimension of guidance through participation in a week long guidance study visit in another European country. It offers a chance to work with other European colleagues, learning about the systems in their countries, sharing information and ideas and enhancing professional skills through experience. Over the years Dun Laoghaire VEC welcomes visitors on the Irish Exchange programme to our Adult Guidance Service, most recently in March this year. My visit to Luxembourg was organised by Jean-Jacques Ruppert from the Centre de Psychologies et d'Orientation Scholaires, Luxembourg. Jean-Jacques works as a psychologist at LCD Mersch, which is a secondary school about 15 Kilometres north of Luxembourg city. He is particularly interested in guidance theory and research and is a member of a European research unit. He has jointly published a number of papers on decision-making in guidance and makes regular contributions to international conferences. There were eight people in the group representing five countries including: France (2); Spain (2); Estonia (2); Belgium (1) and Ireland (1). Four member of the group specialised in adult guidance, three in post primary guidance and one in primary guidance. All the participants were female and had worked in their chosen field for a number of years. Communication was in English with some translation into French by Jean-Jacques. Highlights of the Week Information sharing within the group and lively discussions The main centre base of the programme was at LCD Mersch where we learned about the education and guidance system in Luxembourg. We each made a presentation on the education structures in place in our own countries. Throughout the week there was lively discussion and debate amongst the members of the group and we shared some of our information resources. The group bonded very well. Presentation from Jean-Jacques on his Guidance Research: Heuristic Theory of DecisionMaking Jean-Jacques explained the Heuristic theory of decision-making as being based on the importance of 'gut decisions' which he advocates is how most of our decisions are made. He explained that the difficulty with traditional guidance theories is that they are very prescriptive and basis on rational decision making models. The difficulty with this, he advocates, is that this is not how we go about making decisions in real life. Our decisions are not taken rationally, rather they are mostly irrational. To make a rational decision, he explains, the goals must be well defined in quantitative terms and this does not happen in the real world. The rational, prescriptive models exclude emotions to a large degree. In his paper, jointly published with Bernd-Joachim Ertelt, ' Heuristic Theory of Decision-Making: Evidence and Implications for Career Guidance', he argues that as guidance practitioners we need to take into account not only the cognitive abilities of the clients but also, and most importantly, all their emotions. The context in which such far reaching decisions are made, such as choosing a career is also important. This leads to a more practical 'bounded rationality' decision-making model. Jean-Jacques argues that we do not always have 'grand schemes' in relation to planning, rather, most people, he argues only decide in the very short term. This thesis resonates well in relation to my own observations from working in the adult and community sector. Rational decision making assumes that one has all the knowledge one needs to make a decision. However, this is not real, advocated Jean-Jacques as we behave in accordance with our environment, including socio-economic influences. Krumboltz in A Social Learning Theory of Career Choice (1979) was the first to query rational decision-making using the 'Happenstance' concept but Jean-Jacque asks how do we capitalise on this, how do we take it into decision-making? I found this theoretical discussion most interesting and one that has useful applications to adult guidance. Presentation by Social Educator (ALJ) We received a presentation from Karin, youth guidance professional, who is employed by Action Locale Pour Jeunes to support and encourage young people, aged 14-25, who have left school to either return or to settle with a work organisation to gain work experience and future employment. Many of these young people are dealing with social and/or psychological issues and need additional support. Referrals are made through school, social workers, or through self-referrals. ALJ offices are based throughout Luxembourg to ensure that they remain local. Karin explained that she can make home visits, and spends time getting to understand the young people and tries to support them in various ways. Her aim is to listen to the young people and work with their families to try to resolve their difficulties. As part of her work Karin goes meets pupils aged 14-16 years old in the school classroom and teaches them how to become employed and gives information about trades. She also provides preparation for job interviews and applications and gives feedback. The aim of her work is to advise and guide young people in this age group until they are settled in work. Karin is linked to the education service in Luxembourg, employed as a Social Educator which requires a three year qualification in 'social work'. Visit to Centre for Documents and Information for Higher Education (CEDEIS) We visited this centre where the manager, Dominique, gave us an overview of the services it provides. Essentially it is an information resource base for students in the last two years of school who are considering studying abroad. Information is provided on third level education opportunities in Europe and beyond. The centre also administers the financial aid given to Luxembourg students studying abroad of which there are currently 8,000. Prospective students can call at the centre and the staff also makes visits to schools to provide information evenings to students and parents. Information is given on what to study, when to study, how to study and where to study. It is also a documentation centre of brochures from all the foreign universities. Much of the information is accessed via the internet. It also produces simple information leaflets in-house called 'Studying in eg UK and Ireland' in which they explain the Higher Education System in that country, the university system and provide information on the enrolment procedures and information on student living, social security rules, job regulations. One leaflet is produced per country. The Centre also produces a series of career documents that give career overviews, definitions of the different jobs and interviews from professionals working in the area. The information is free. Each November a two day Student Fair is held and attended by representatives from Universities from throughout Europe and all over the world. The main focus of the service is to support pupils considering third level education. The service is currently building on its competencies in supporting adults returning to third level education, in particular providing the opportunity to work and take a degree on a part time basis, either at the Luxembourg University or by distance learning. The financial aid system is Luxembourg is universal for all students and therefore not dependent on where a student chooses to study. It is a lump sum, currently €7,300 per year which is awarded partly as a grant and partly as a loan depending on family financial circumstances. The most disadvantaged student could receive a maximum grant of 50% of the total lump sum plus 50% grant. The conditions of paying back the loan are vocational training centre and the ‘Local Action for young people’. The diary below explains this in more detail. Visit to Youth Employment Centre (BIZ) This centre is part of the country's Employment Agency and the office we visited focuses only on apprenticeships and vocational guidance. Its main aim is to guide pupils in second level school who are interested in apprenticeships. In Luxembourg there are a very wide range of apprenticeships available in a large number of trades including office and administration, the building industry, and many practical based areas. Staff first make an intervention with pupils during the first year of secondary school with school visits. In their third year of school pupils can come to the centre and work under supervision to research jobs via internet sites. Pupils in their third year are also given the opportunity to work as trainees for 2-3 weeks. Staff at the centre provide classes in 'Active Life'. Staff aim to put the young people in touch with as many jobs as possible. They also facilitate groups to ensure students know the wider aspects of the work including what the dangers are associated with particular jobs and related health and safety issues involved. An apprentice works on site for four days and attends college for one day per week. The usual starting age is 16. In Luxembourg every apprenticeship offered by an employer must be advertised through the employment agency. To qualify as an adult apprentice you must be left school for at least one year and have worked in Luxembourg for at least one year. There are an increasing number of adults applying for apprenticeships and are very sought after by employers. Visit to Betrange - Town Hall, Pre-school and Primary school Here we were greeted by the Mayor of the town who showed us around the school. The school was very spacious, with excellent facilities. The school is divided into five sections each one supporting children for a two year period starting from 2-4, 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 and 10-12. The focus of play and learning at the ages of 2-4 is to learn Luxembourgish. This option is offered throughout the country as a support for children from non Luxembourgish speaking families. All children are welcome as the mix with children who can speak Luxembourgish is important. After our tour of the school the Mayor gave us a special reception at the town hall which is a converted castle. Visit to National Centre for Continued Professional Training (CNFPC) This Centre is equivalent to a vocational training centre. It was built in 1999 with the aim of combating unemployment and promoting continuing vocational training. Young people and adults attend. The young people who attend the centre do so after they have left compulsory education. The centre is extremely large in size and is houses many different vocational workshops including motor mechanics, roofing, painting and welding. Our host, a social worker, based at the centre, explained that sometimes there are discipline difficulties with some students at the centre. Students are often attracted to areas where such as motor mechanics where there is less chance of gaining employment than other areas. Students only attend on a part time basis and all can get help to find employment. There were very few students in the centre on the day we visited. Tour of Mersch LCD Jean-Jacques gave the group a guided tour of Mersch, LCD which is one of two sites of the school. The main site being approximately 15 minutes drive away. There are approximately 450 students attending Mersch aged between 12 and 15 years old. There are also a number of female boarders. The Mersch site of the school is a large, new building, which is well resourced. The school has a large gym and sports hall with excellent facilities and the science, technology, IT labs as well as other classrooms were well resourced and immaculately clean. Education and Guidance Systems in Luxembourg Primary Education School is not compulsory until 6 years old, although the vast majority of children do attend preschool. Local areas are obliged to provide pre-school opportunities for all. At age three, children can attend pre-school with the main purpose of learning Luxembourgish – this is particularly important for foreign nationals. From age 4-6, the pre-school is designed to aid entry into primary school and is intended to foster the physical, intellectual and social development of children. At 6 years old, children move onto primary school. Language learning becomes increasingly important from here on. German is taught in the first year and then French in the second year with extra help for those children that might need it. The final year of primary school is very important as it determines which stream pupils will go into in secondary school. Secondary The education system is quite complicated with various routes that can be taken. At the end of primary school, a decision is made about whether a pupil will go into the higher (classic), middle (technical) or lower (preparatory) streams. Classic is the academic stream and pupils are expected to go onto university. The technical and preparatory streams are vocational and here pupils are expected to go in to trades and less academic professions. The decisions are based on various tests taken in primary school including language ability. Pupils going onto the technical and classic streams would be expected to be fluent in the 3 national languages of Luxembourg as well as English. Parents often disagree with the decisions and so a panel consisting of the student, the parents, teacher from the primary school, a teacher from the secondary school and a primary school inspector, can then take a vote. The psychologist from the secondary school also has say (although not a vote). Jean-Jacques is the psychologist at Mersch LCD. Movement between the streams is very difficult, particularly from the preparatory and technical levels to the classic level. A pupil placed in the preparatory or technical streams can be excluded from some professions/career routes. At Mersch LCD, all levels are taught in the same building. Luxembourgh schools. This is not always the case in In Luxembourg there are special schools for young people with high support needs due to their disabilities. Parents can request that their children go to mainstream school but the school takes the final decision. A small number of pupils at Mersch had learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school curriculum reflects the importance of languages with 50% being devoted to the study of languages. Young people are encouraged by the government to travel abroad to university and to return to Luxembourg after their studies. There is only one University in Luxembourg and this mostly focuses on research. Adult and Post Secondary Level Education/Training Young people are encouraged to study at universities outside Luxembourg and then return after graduation. Support for Apprenticeship with the country is very strong and there are centres dedicated to this work. Training centres do exist but are not well attended. There is a vibrant evening adult education population. Guidance Guidance is split into different areas and, depending on the advice that is being sought, a student may need to go to different professionals and locations to receive that advice. Jean-Jacques is a psychologist working in a team of practitioners in the Mersch secondary school. His team consists of social workers, guidance teachers, educationalists. He is employed by the Centre de Psychologie et d’Orientation Scolaires, the Centre of Psychology and Educational Guidance (CPOS). This Centre comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. He is based in the school but is also part of it than the CPOS. Pupils at the school seek guidance for educational purposes including careers, work experience and also learning support. Pupils will self-refer although needs assessments are made by the school to ensure that all pupils are getting the correct level of support. Parents are invited to speak to the team through consultation evenings and these are considered to be very important. If pupils and parents wish they can access guidance directly with Jean-Jacques as the school CPOS representative. Most of the team have a psychology background (Jean-Jacques was originally involved in psychiatry and studied and worked for a time at St Andrews University in Scotland). There are no formal guidance qualifications which have to be undertaken. Jean-Jacques has good network links with professional from the other guidance, training and information related services in Luxembourg that pupils from the school can access. Some Key Facts About Luxembourg: Luxembourg is a small country of 2,500 km2 and about half a million people who live in a plural society with over 160 nationalities. 42% of its population are from countries outside Luxembourg. Also every day many people travel to work daily from the neighbouring countries of France to the South, Germany to the East and Belgium to the West. It is a constitutional monarchy with a Grand Duke as head of state. There is currently a coalition government. There are two main cities – Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette. Luxembourg is a multi-lingual country with Luxembourgish, French and German being the main three languages. The Economy of Luxembourg is strong and largely based on financial service, the European Union and the media, communications and audiovisual industry. The traditional importance of iron ore, agriculture, wine growing and forestry for the economy has steadily declined over the years. Final Reflections: • I found the Heuristic Theory of Decision-Making most interesting and one that fits well in adult guidance. It offers useful career management tools that are particularly applicable to adult guidance. • Our group of visiting guidance practitioners bonded very well, with a willingness to share practice and learn from each other's experiences. We managed to communicate well despite some language difficulties. Our working days were long though. • Learning about the education system in Luxembourg was interesting. It is a very regimented system with little room for movement between education categories. • Given that the education system in Luxembourg is so heavily language based, one wonders how those with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties cope within the system in place. • The education system in Ireland seems more open and inclusive. Young people and adults with disability do not seem to have the same opportunities to take part in an integrated education system as in Ireland. • There is a major emphasis on apprenticeships in Luxembourg with an extensive range of apprenticeships available and a very impressive support structure in place. The system for preparing for this begins early in the secondary school system. • There is a position of 'Social Educator' in France, Belgium and Luxembourg whose training involves a three year programme. Social Educators play a key supportive role to young people who are experiencing difficulties participating effectively in the education/training system. They work both within the centres of education, including schools, as well as outside schools. • Much emphasis is placed on providing clear, accurate information for those considering Higher Education.