European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Subject of the Policy document

Quality Standards For The Vocational Guidance and Selection Services At The Croatian Employment Service

Reference data

Adopted/Released by Croatian Employment Service

Year of adoption 2005

Reference number

Available at http:// http://www.hzz.hr/docslike/Standardi_kvalitete_usluga_profesionalnog_usmjeravanja_i_slekecije_u_HZZ-u.pdf

Available in English at http://

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

The material describes how career guidance services are provided in regional offices as well as those possible activities now provided in only some of the offices. Improving the career guidance system presumes introduction of new types of services for specific groups of users and ensures co-ordinated action between different departments of the CES. Precondition for introduction of new services is a continuous investment into upgrading of counsellors’ competences.

The overall goal in the quality management system is:
• CES services quality standardisation
• That the activities of the Employment Service are more visible and transparent to the users and public
• That the services provided are within the resources allocated and the legislation framed, that they match best the needs of the users
• Permanent training for the CES employees in order to gain needed competences
• That the changes i.e. adjustments are made in accordance with users’ needs and potential
• To ensure a nation wide concept in delivering services, with possibilities for regional variations

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Croatian Employment Service (CES), Employment Preparation Department

No comments by users.

policy, access, administration, adult education, advisory services, apprenticeship, availability, career counselling, career guidance, career information, career management skills, career planning, co-operation and co-ordination, competence assessment, counsellor training, Croatia, guidance services, development plan, disadvantaged groups, education planning, education provision, effectiveness, employees, employer, employment services, evaluation criteria, evaluation data, evaluation guidelines, evaluation outcome, evidence-based, group counselling, guidance provision, human resource management, implementation, in-company training, individual counselling, information services, labour market, standard development, people at risk, people with disabilities, personality assessment, PES, quality assurance, quality evaluation, student counseling, young people, Staff working document, Regional level, quality assurance and evidence-base, schools, VET, higher education, employment, social inclusion

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

The Hungarian LLG Council and LLG System development

Country

Hungary

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

In Hungary there is no official central ownership of guidance issues. While guidance activities and development are overseen by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (Szociális és Munkaügyi Minisztérium), the Ministry of Education and Culture (Oktatási és Kulturális Minisztérium) is also a key actor in the field. However, the two ministries do not have a long term strategic agreement on the issue. On the other hand, neither the citizens, nor the employers have a clear idea of the aims, methods or the benefits of guidance, counselling and vocational orientation.

Since the establishment of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN) at EU level, national developments have pushed ahead. The Hungarian LLG Council (Nemzeti Pályaorientációs Tanács, NPT) was founded in January 2008 and in September of the same year a new national programme was launched in the framework of the Social Renewal Operational Programme (Társadalmi Megújulás Operatív Programja, TÁMOP) of the New Hungary Development Plan (Új Magyarország Fejlesztési Terv, ÚMFT) 2007-2013 which includes the development of a new national LL guidance network.

The national LLL strategy (2005) as well as the National Reform Programme (2008-2010) also specifies the development of some elements of career guidance activities but a policy document was elaborated by the new Hungarian LLG Council.

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

The main aim of the national council is to develop and promote a framework for lifelong guidance policy. The work of the council is strongly related with the national development programme for LLG System in Hungary. According the Hungarian Government decision (2007) this programme was designed for the 7 years period of the NSRF (2007-2013) and cover 22,6 millions EUR total. Within this main aim the subtasks are the followings:
1. unifying the meaning of career guidance within the educational and employment, social regulations in national level
2. re-establish and also reinterpretat policy mechanism in the field of career guidance after the 70’s
3. develop an unified regulation for career guidance and also develop the financing mechanism
4. develop a cross-sectoral common understanding in the field of lifelong guidance/ carrier education and career counselling
5. develop a web-based unified cadastre for career counselling professionals and for other professionals whose are working in related fields (i.e. teachers, social workers etc.)
6. develop unified guidelines for career counselling professionals
7. upskilling professionals for LLG
7a. offering in-service trainings at two different levels:
- for career counselling professionals
- and for professionals in the related fields
7b. develop tools for all age guidance
7c. publishing a new review (Életpálya Tanácsadás) for the professional community
7d. widening access for career guidance services as a common project of different stakeholders

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

SROP 2.2.2. under the professional supervision of the NPT implementing a numerous new features in the field of career guidance. The main items within the first 2 year-long period are:
- Development a new toolkit for career guidance professional (questioners for all-age services, web based databank)
- Get together the professionals and the related professionals of career guidance
- Provide in-service training for 2000 people whose working in related professions
- Provide 2 year-long post-graduate diploma for career guidance professionals as widening the network of trained professionals
- Develop a national and regional network of the professionals

The programme SROP 2.2.2 supports development in the areas of IT and methodology. In the area of IT development, the development of a new national guidance portal is envisaged, targeting the youth, adults and professionals/experts, with the aim of providing integrated, up to date, and user friendly information related to education and the labour market. The webpage would also offer a portal for the career guidance professionals, where they could reach all the information and tools regarding the project. It has four main functions:
- Social networking
- Knowledgebase
- Special functions: online storage of counselling case diaries, nameless statistical treatment of their facts, tools that make possible to analyse the offline questionnaires

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

The first round of monitoring will be carried out in 2010 before than end of the first phase. Internal evaluation is must of the Hungarian Development Agency (NDA) and the National Agency of European Social Fund. Four internal evaluations are compulsory within these 2 years:
- May 2009
- October 2009
- May 2010
- December 2010

NDA and ESA Agency are monitoring the programme outcomes. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour will get a professional summery before the second programme proposal will be submitted to the National Development Agency Human Resources Managing Authority till June 2010.

Two independent external evaluations are also planed within this period.
- one in policy context,
- another for measuring the performance of the 50 career counsellors’ activates working in the programme

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

Project indicators and their status:
- Number of clients receiving guidance services - base: 30 000 persons/year, aim: 40 000 persons/year, status: achieved (2009)
- Trained persons (from the fields related to guidance) - base: 0, aim: 2000 persons, status: in progress
- Number of persons who successfully finished trainings - base: 0, aim: 1900 persons, status: in progress
- User satisfaction of clients included in guidance activities - base: N/A, aim: + 20%, status: in progress
- Persons attended in post-gradual trainings - base: 0, aim: 50 persons, status: achieved
- Newly developed occupation folders - base: 202, aim: 302, status: in progress
- Updated occupation folders - base: 172, aim: 222, status: in progress
- Newly developed training materials (and courses) - base: 0, aim: 10, status: achieved
- Newly developed occupation films - base: 344, aim: 364, status: in progress
- Unique visitors of the newly developed national guidance portal - base: 223 200 visitor/year, aim: 268 000 visitor/year, status: achieved (2009)

Budget: 2,08 Bn HUF - 7,8 M EUR - is to be used in the first 2 years.

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

A strong professional view of the programme management and the international developments (ie. EU Resolutions 2004, 2008, EU-OECD 2004. ILO 2006. UNESCO 2002 publications etc.) help in the implementation period.

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

Lack of evidence of the real economic impact of career guidance and a very segmented human resources development system make the ongoing development and further implementation very fragile. Lack of national resources for the maintaining of the ESA founded development is also an important issue, especially after 2013/2014 for the next development period (2014-2020) of the EU. A national level and cross-sectoral unfiled re-regulation of this field is essential for the success and the marinating of the developments.

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Borbély-Pecze, Tibor Bors, NPT

Role (in policy initiative)

Secretary of NPT

Organization name

Nemzeti Pályaorientációs Tanács

Address

Nemzeti Pályaorientációs Tanács Titkársága Foglalkoztatási és Szociális Hivatal (Borbély-Pecze Tibor Bors, titkár) Budapest Kálvária tér 7. 1089 Hungary

Phone

+36.30.216.0095

Fax

+36.1.459.2099

E-mail

beneiv@lab.hu; borbelytibor@lab.hu

Website address

http://internet.afsz.hu/engine.aspx?page=full_kulfoldi_palyaor_eu_magyar_llg_tanacs

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://internet.afsz.hu/resource.aspx?resourceid=full_kulfoldi_palyaor_eu_magyar_llg_szakpol_ang

This information was provided/updated by:

BORBÉLY-PECZE Tibor Bors

No comments by users.

ELGPN, good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, national development, LLG system development, cadastre, career guidance counsellor, ICT, effectiveness, national standard development, education policy, PES, cross policy coordination, training of the guidance professionals, access, quality, co-operation, co-ordination, guidance in schools, unemployed, employed, older adults, career information, qualifications, Hungary

Subject of the Policy document

Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity - Draft Council Conclusions

Reference data

Adopted/Released by Council of the European Union

Year of adoption 2007

Reference number 15497/07

Available at http:// http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=102&langId=en

Available in English at http://

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

Draft Council conclusion, which sets out the key principles of flexicurity. While the document makes no direct reference to lifelong guidance, it is an underlying assumption in one of the four policy components of flexicurity, Comprehensive lifelong learning strategies.

Please also see the Commission Communication (Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity) and the Council Secretariat's Report by the "flexicurity" mission on the implementation of the flexicurity, both availabe in this database.

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Outi Ruusuvirta

No comments by users.

ELGPN, legislation, policy, adult education, advisory services, career management skills, companies, employment, labour force, labour market, labour market policy, PES, public employment service, transition, unemployed, flexibility, security, flexicurity, support measures, European union, Conclusion, social inclusion

Subject of the Policy document

Implementation of the common principles of flexicurity within the framework of the 2008-2010 round of the Lisbon Strategy - Report by the "flexicurity" mission

Reference data

Adopted/Released by Council of the European Union

Year of adoption 2008

Reference number 17047/1/08 REV 1 (en)

Available at http:// http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=102&langId=en

Available in English at http://

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

A report by the Flexicurity mission to facilitate mutual learning in implementation of flexicurity policies.

Through examples from member countries, the report emphasises the role of public employment services in providing guidance services (p. 6 & 9).

The report also points to the importance of the dialogue between the social partners and stakeholder in order to provide approriate occupation guidance (p. 10).

Please also see the Commission Communication (Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity) and the Draft Council Conclusions by the same name, both availabe in this database.

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Outi Ruusuvirta

No comments by users.

policy, adult education, advisory services, career management skills, companies, employment, labour force, labour market, labour market policy, PES, public employment service, transition, unemployed, flexibility, security, flexicurity, support measures, guidance, European union, Report, Finland, France, Poland, Spain, Sweden, social inclusion

Subject of the Policy document

Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity: More and better jobs through flexibility and security

Reference data

Adopted/Released by European Commission

Year of adoption 2007

Reference number COM(2007) 359 final

Available at http:// http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=102&langId=en

Available in English at http://

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

Commission communication, which sets out the key principles of flexicurity. While the document makes no direct reference to lifelong guidance, it is an underlying assumption in one of the four policy components of flexicurity, Comprehensive lifelong learning strategies.

Please also see the Council Conclusions (Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity) and the Council Secretariat's Report by the "flexicurity" mission on the implementation of the flexicurity, both availabe in this database.

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Outi Ruusuvirta

No comments by users.

ELGPN, legislation, policy, adult education, advisory services, career management skills, companies, employment, labour force, labour market, labour market policy, PES, public employment service, transition, unemployed, flexibility, security, flexicurity, support measures, European union, communication, strategy, social inclusion

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Agreements between the Labour- and Welfare service and the County Education Administration in Norway

Country

Norway

I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database

1. Background

What makes this an example of good/interesting practice/initiative/policy?

- The motivation of the initiative (What is the history/background of the policy?)

- Linkages with LLG policy priorities (Please add references to other national/EU policies or documents)

- Participants

The Ministers of different Ministries jointly address challenges that have a negative impact on the individual, the labour market and on the goals and expenditure of the sectors.
The Ministers of Education and Labour respectively have recognised the need to see means and measures of the education sector and the employment sector in a context to achieve the goals of both sectors. Both sectors have obligations to a large number of the same people; groups outside of working life and with low levels of education . Norway also faces substantial challenges related to the high rate of drop-outs from upper secondary school, (30%), particularly in the VET programmes (50+%).
Based on both bottom up and top down processes, the government has recognised the need to strengthen the system of career guidance and the citizens’ rights and access to education.
Agreements are used as an instrument to building structures of cooperation, enhancing the commitment of common efforts. A national agreement was signed between the Ministry of Labour and the Norwegian Association of Regional and Local authorities in 2007. Through the national agreement the counties were encouraged by the partners to establish cooperating agreements at county and local level.

Aims and targets

- Objectives of the initiative (What did the policy set out to achieve?)

- Target group

- Methods applied to reach the objective (technological and /or pedagogical)

The main objectives of the central agreement are to:
• enhance and systemize cross- sectoral cooperation to better achieve labour market and educational goals
• to provide unemployed people with better opportunities of completing upper secondary school
• build a basis for committed regional agreements between the Labour and Welfare service and Regional education authorities
The national agreement listed areas of particular relevance, like improving access to career guidance services, APEL, basic skills, upper sec/VET training, etc. It also encouraged countypartners to establish mechanisms for committed, continuous collaboration at di8fferent levels, both coordinating bodies and systems for cooperation at operative level. Regional agreements should regulate this cooperation and thus promote better targeting and tailoring of means and measures and plans of actions.
The national agreement was communicated to both sectors in the counties through parallel letters and presentations from the national partners in their respective national and county fora and through steering signals to NAV (PES) to initiate the process, and was further discussed and processed in joint cross-sectoral conferences.

2. Implementation

Strategy and actions (Please describe the approach adopted to make the reform work and any actions taken.)

- Level of implementation (national, regional etc.)

- Implementation (description)

Based on the national agreement, all counties have implemented countywise agreements between the NAV (PES) and the county education administration. The partners aim to define and enhance the degree of commitment to cooperation in areas important to both sectors.
The regional partnerships for career guidance were included into the counties’ agreements as one main cooperation area along with the system of APEL and targeting youth challenges. Most career centres provide individual guidance services as well as career-planning courses. Some of them also cooperate with NAV in serving companies facing challenges. Many of the centres also support staff at NAV offices and in schools. The county agreements contribute to anchoring the services of the career centres.
Cooperation on young school drop-outs and young unemployed is important in these agreements. In most counties this implies the implementation of more detailed interaction routines between the local NAV office and schools and Follow-up services in the schools. Currently the Ministry of Education is implementing a comprehensive commitment to increasing the rate of completion in upper secondary school (“Ny GIV”). The NAV is a key cooperating partner in the implementation of the Ministry’s projects. The county agreements provide a basis for this new extensive project.

Monitoring and evaluation

- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?

- What actors are involved?

The Directorate of Labour and Welfare is monitoring the results of the agreements in the counties. Among the activities are a cross-ministry-body, national seminars for the partners in the counties, report routines, focus on further development of cooperation structures and training projects combining cross-sectoral measures.
To start the implementation process of the national agreement in 2007, the Directorate of Labour gave some minor steering signals, encouraging the NAV counties to initiate a process by inviting the county education administration to jointly work out a county agreement. During the following years the expectations through the steering signals became more specific.
In 2009 an external evaluation, ordered and managed by the Directorate of Labour and Welfare, was carried out by the research institution SINTEF.(The subject was the implementation of the national agreement.)

3. Outcomes

Achievements (Please describe the main outcomes/results according to the following headings. Each option can be answered - up to 50 words)

- Specific results

- Cost effectiveness

- Budget

- Innovative aspects

Cross-sectoral bodies and fora have been established in the counties at different levels. This may be strategic sector meetings at governing level, fora at administration level, and continuous contact and routines for cooperation at local provision level. Working on strategies, coordinating project planning and increasing mutual knowledge are among the subjects. This has also increased the efforts to define roles and responsibilities at a formal level in sub-agreements and in practical measures. In some cases contact as described has been established from a very low or non-existing level between local actors. Thus the structural outcomes derived from the agreements provide a better basis for coordinated services to the users.
The number of career centres in the counties has increased during the agreement period, most of them offering career guidance services to all ages.
A lot of projects and programmes directed particularly at young people have been undertaken, involving local NAV offices, schools, employers and other stakeholders, with elements of vocational training, work experience and close follow up, tailored to individual needs. The rates of following up young people from NAV offices have increased and reached the requirements. Further external evaluation and research is needed to properly document more specific effects.

Success factors (What key success factors have led to or prevented success?)

- Lessons learnt

- Unintended impacts (Have there been any unintended impacts? Positive or negative?)

The evaluation report from SINTEF (2009) showed both success factors and challenges to be further addressed at national and county level.
- county agreements intensify and systemise cooperation between the partners
- the agreements contribute to increased coordinated use of measures - assisting more users into education and work, approaching national goals
- the importance and results of the agreements varies among the counties, still potential for improvement
- authorities national and local, must maintain focus on further cooperation development.
- national authorities are recommended to look into colliding regulations

Strengths and weaknesses

- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?

- Are there still challenges ahead?

ln counties that have established closer co-operating structures, these structures offer a better basis for better coordinated and targeted measures.
External evaluation and experience so far show that it takes time to establish sustainable structures and routines of cooperation and coordination. This is due to sector-based differences in mandate, regulations (colliding), budgets and sectoral culture. It takes time to organise routines and build relations and networks, as well as knowledge to exploit the total capacity as to projects and means. Limited resources and capacities between partners lead to limitations of speed and progress in periods.

4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative

Additional information

Name of contact

Ingunn Hagen

Role (in policy initiative)

Senior adviser at directorate level

Organization name

Directorate of Labour and Welfare

Address

P.b. 5 St. Olavs plass, N-0130 Oslo, Norway

Phone

+47 21 07 01 28

Fax

E-mail

Ingunn.hagen@nav.no

Website address

www.nav.no

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

No links specified.

This information was provided/updated by:

Ingunn Hagen

No comments by users.

good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, co-operation and co-ordination, lifelong guidance, LLG system development, Norway, PES, youth policy