European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Subject of the Policy document

National Strategy For Entrepreneurial Learning

Reference data

Adopted/Released by Government of the Republic of Croatia

Year of adoption 2010

Reference number 60th session of the Croatian Government

Available at http:// www.e4e.com.hr/pdf/60_sjednica_vlade_rh_1.1_strategija.pdf

Available in English at http://

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

• Objective 1: Develop a more positive attitude of wider public towards entrepreneurship, as well as encourage a positive attitude towards life-long learning for entrepreneurship

The goal of the strategy for entrepreneurial learning sets the following, concrete tasks:
a) recognise the importance of building entrepreneurial attitudes, knowledge and skills of all citizens of Croatia,
b) better understanding of entrepreneurship in the wider sense,
c) better understanding of youth about the role and importance of developing entrepreneurial attitudes, knowledge and skills for future personal and professional development,
d) increase the interest of members of different target groups for training to develop entrepreneurial attitude, knowledge and skills;

• Objective 2: Introduce learning and training for entrepreneurship as key competencies into all forms, types and levels of formal and informal education and learning

One of the 22 activities listed for the purpose of achieving Objective 2 is: "Implement entrepreneurial competence in professional informing and guidance, and career planning and development."

• Chapter 6. REASONS FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING includes the following:

"Every man is also a homo economicus, who is competitive on the labour market with his business abilities, and it is precisely these abilities, if entrepreneurial competences are also implemented in it, that can achieve higher value. This enables higher and permanent employability and competitiveness of the individual, and easier professional orientation when choosing the first occupation and later, in career development."
…
Later sections of the same chapter (6), include the following:
"The Council of Ministers has passed the Resolution on Lifelong guidance in May 2004, which emphasises the following:

1. Career guidance refers to a range of activities that enable individuals of any age and at any point in their lives to identify their capacities, competences and interests, to make educational, training and occupational decisions and to manage their own professional career.
2. Priority 1 is important for entrepreneurship development, as it says that it is necessary to encourage lifelong development of career management skills. Career management skills are the decisive factor in empowering people for active participation and assuming responsibility in crating their own learning, education and career development.
3. Such skills, which should be nurtured throughout life, are based on key competences (especially 'to learn how to learn'), social and civil competences, including intercultural competences, and on initiative and entrepreneurship."

• Within the Action Plan, in measure 10: INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL SMALL ENTERPRISES ESTABLISHED OUT OF A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, lists the following activities:

1. Implementing entrepreneurial competence in career planning and development,
2. Improving training programmes to establish and develop enterprises
3. Increased availability of training programmes for entrepreneurship.
4. Development of entrepreneurial centres and incubators.

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Croatian Employment Service (CES), Employment Preparation Department

No comments by users.

policy, career management skills, career guidance, professional orientation, career development, employability, competitiveness, competences and interests, formal education, informal education, entrepreneurial competence, career planning, training programmes, enterprises development, Croatia, lifelong learning, social entrepreneurship, National level, Regional level, strategy, co-operation and co-ordination, quality assurance and evidence-base, schools, VET, higher education, adult education, employment, social inclusion

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Quality assurance through a training curriculum for guidance practitioners in higher education in Germany by the university association for counsellors and guidance practitioners “Society for Information, Guidance and Therapy at Universities” (´´´GIBeT)

Country

Germany

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 professional status of guidance practitioners is not commonly regulated in Germany including in the Higher Education (HE) system. However, through the Bologna reforms and the increasing differentiations of HE, professional guidance services are becoming increasingly important in this sector. They are expected to support individual study choices and transitions from school to HE, provide transparency of the various study opportunities and avoid disorientation that result from the substantial changes whithin the German HE system. At the same time, universities are even more competing with each other and guidance is a quality criterion of services for students.

Higher qualifications for counsellors in HE have already been recommended by the German Rector´s Conference (HRK) in order to support the Bologna reforms (HRK, 1994). Now, the ´´´GIBeT training curriculum comes at a time when quality and professionalism of guidance are high on the agenda in Germany as well as in Europe. The EU Council Resolutions on guidance 2004 and 2008, European developments e.g. in the ELGPN, ERASMUS and national developments significantly forced the establishment of a professional and quality standard in guidance services.

Guidance in HE is further competing to support the EU2020 goals: reduce drop-out, increase participation in higher education and raise the number of graduates in natural sciences and engineering. These objectives however may only be reached if guidance practitioners have the necessary skills and competences to provide services in high quality.

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)

In order to enhance the quality and professionalism of guidance services and counselling in HE as well as to ensure the professional status of practitioners through qualification and certification, the university counsellor’s association “Society for Information, Guidance and Therapy at Universities (´´´GIBeT)” developed a training curriculum for guidance practitioners in this field. Furthermore it encourages lifelong vocational education and training. And in general, the curriculum is intended to support the professionalisation and the standardisation of the job profile.

The training curriculum is directed at people providing educational counselling in institutions of HE. This involves all kinds of different professions e.g. pedagogical, psychological or socio-pedagogical professions.

The contents of the training curriculum are grounded in the tasks of the general guidance services in HE which are based in central counselling and guidance units in contrast to the faculty-based expert advisory on subject related matters. The curriculum defines a series of compulsory basic modules and a number of further specific modules from which counsellors may choose.

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)

Since 2009, the draft of the training curriculum, which was developed by some of the association’s board members, was broadly discussed within the ´´´GIBeT. In September 2011 the curriculum was finally passed by the general assembly which is constituted of practitioners working in educational
guidance and counselling in HE. The curriculum defines the structure for potential training programmes . In 2012 the training commission started its work to build up the relevant structures, to evaluate and accredit available training provisions and to include them in an online database. Being driven by a national professional association, the curriculum will be implemented on a national level. This offers flexible and decentralized training provisions as each practitioner can select what he or she needs. Courses of different training providers throughout Germany must be accredited by the training commission in order to be included in the database of training provisions.

Arranged in basic and advanced modules, the curriculum based programmes in the database involve courses on different aspects of counselling and guidance at universities: the education and labour system, pedagogical/ psychological theories, counselling competences, group and project management, information and cooperation and quality assurance. Practitioners may choose between two profiles according to their main professional tasks: „educational counselling” and „education management”..

Once counsellors successfully completed the related qualifications and trainings, they receive a certificate from the training commission. This is an individualized process in which informal and prior learning and experiences may also be examined and recognized by the training commission.

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

The training commission examines the training provisions according to the training curriculum and organises the implementation. Additionally, the commission is responsible for the further development of the training curriculum. Further, the training commission examines and decides upon the recognition of practitioner competences. The training commission is appointed for a period of two years by the executive board which is in turn elected by the members of the association.

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

At present (summer 2012) the training commission is working on accreditation criteria for training providers. The online-database with accredited available training provisions will be published in autumn 2012. At the same time the recognition procedure for competences acquired in vocational practice will start.

Cost effectiveness is provided through a NGO approach.

Practitioners pay a low fee for the certificate and for the examination of prior and informal learning and experiences. Members of the ´´´GiBET receive a considerable discount while non-members also have to pay for access to the training provisions database.

The training curriculum of the ´´´GiBET is an innovative approach in a context with little regulation. The practitioners of the association decided as a form of self-regulation to define their own standards. Here practitioner’s competences become quality criteria of good student guidance services in HE.

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?)

Due to the bottom-up approach of this initiative which involved many practitioners, a high sense of identification is produced. There is a participative nature which will have a positive influence on the acceptance.

As a side effect, the online database including the accredited training provisions also improves transparency in the field of counsellor vocational education and training.

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

As the initiative is lacking governmental and legal reinforcement, implementation will take some time and will be more difficult. Therefore, the board continuously ensures the involvement of the members and their acceptance of the curriculum. In addition, communication and cooperation with other associations, the National Guidance Forum in Education, Career and Employment and the involvement in the Open Process of Coordination for Quality Development provides exchange and mutual recognition in the professional community.

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

Additional information

Name of contact

Anne Käther

Role (in policy initiative)

Speaker of the training commission

Organization name

Gesellschaft für Information, Beratung und Therapie an Hochschulen, ´´´GIBeT ( Society for Information, Guidance and Therapy at Universities)

Address

Fortbildungskommission Geschäftsstelle, c/o Universität Greifswald, Zentrale Studienberatung, Rubenowstraße 2, 17489 Greifswald

Phone

Fax

E-mail

fortbildungskommission@gibet.de

Website address

http://www.gibet.de/fortbildungszertifikat.html

Documents and publications

http://www.gibet.de/fortbildungszertifikat/ordnungen.html

Attached files

Links

http://www.gibet.de/fortbildungszertifikat/fortbildungsdatenbank.html

This information was provided/updated by:

Bernhard Jenschke

No comments by users.

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