The Berufswahlpass (career choice passport): A portfolio approach to support CMS and career orientation
Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy
The Berufswahlpass (career choice passport): A portfolio approach to support CMS and career orientation
Country
Germany
I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database
No
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 Germany career orientation plays an important part in secondary school curricula. Educational matters are under the responsibility of the 16 federal states, the Länder. However, preparation for the world of work and career orientation has a long tradition in German secondary schools. It is of particular importance in the light of the choice of a career and the transition to the dual vocational education system. Hence, in all the Länder systematic vocational preparation and orientation are taught in a special subject which may be named differently e.g. lessons in working, work- economy-technology or they are embedded in other subjects. Here, career orientation and Career Management Skills (CMS) are key contents. In order to facilitate, support and document learning processes in the area of CMS and career orientation the portfolio Berufswahlpass (career choice passport) is used in 12 of the 16 Länder integrated into the lessons.
The Berufswahlpass was developed as part of the program “school/ economy and work” (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and is used since 2005. Continuous further development is ensured by a working group of the participating federal states which also runs the website and organizes professional exchange and further related activities.
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 Berufswahlpass aims to support young people in lower secondary education in their career orientation process and enables their parents, educators, guidance practitioners and employers to help them in various ways. Thus, it seeks to assess career learning and encourages critical reflection and exchange with other learners. Through the resource-oriented portfolio approach of the Berufswahlpass self-consciousness, self-esteem and self-efficacy is also strengthened.
The Berufswahlpass is a folder-based portfolio approach including information and provisions for career orientation. First it introduces important partners for making a career choice (e.g. it clarifies the roles of parents, schools, career guidance practitioners in the Employment Agencies EA , companies in the process). Further sections assess and evaluate personal interests and competences combining self- and external assessment. In addition, the Berufswahlpass contains checklists on various topics e.g. matching career profiles with personal strengths and provides documentation facilities. As the folder also includes practical information e.g. on public administrations, insurances and income, it not only focuses on vocational aspects but applies a broader understanding of life orientation.
Career education in the curriculum and the career choice process of the pupils are accompanied by career guidance activities of career counselors of the EA (lessons or short interviews in the school, visits to the Career Information Centre BIZ or counseling provision in the EA) .
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)
The tool is widely used in secondary schools with about 70%-80% of the pupils in 12 federal states. It is often combined with other provisions for career orientations such as printed information material and the Internet portal “Planet Beruf” both provided by the EA (see good practice/ Case Study 5 Planet Beruf: WP2, ELGPN, 2010) and the portfolio “ProfilPASS® for young people”.
Monitoring and evaluation
- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?
- What actors are involved?
Self-evaluation is part of quality assurance in the context of the use of the Berufswahlpass in schools. Defined quality standards as input criteria structure this work and provide the basis of evaluation for which material is provided online.
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
The Berufswahlpass supports the acquisition and development of Career Management Skills. In particular, it strengthens self-reflection and evaluation-skills and builds self- esteem and self-efficacy. Hence, the self exploration of interests and abilities provides a contribution to a reflected and individual career choice. At the same time the Berufswahlpass increases the motivation of the young people to involve in further learning, job search and career planning. Further, the tool may help teachers to identify students at- risk of early school leaving and may help to refer them to another programme for pupils at-risk (see good practice/ Case Study: Educational chains WP 2).
The folder is not free of charge. The prizes differ depending on the mode, type and scope of delivery but range around 5 Euro per folder. These expenses may be paid by the schools, the pupils or it may be sponsored by a government or private body.
The Berufswahlpass supports CMS acquisition and development as well as self-assessment through intensive reflection and evaluation of personal strengths, competences and interests as well as through goal setting and career planning. As an integral part of the curriculum of secondary education it is linked with other tools and initiatives and activities concerned with career orientation and guidance such as online resources, visits to the BIZ and career counselling interviews in the EA... Hence, in many German Länder it supports and accompanies a longer and systematic process of career education, orientation and planning, continuously building CMS.
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 tool may function as an accreditation instrument for those pupils who do not succeed gaining their secondary school certificate.
Strengths and weaknesses
- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?
- Are there still challenges ahead?
The folder based approach of the Berufswahlpass involves some challenges as it rather appeals to young people who are at with written work and with portfolios and folders. In addition, the intensive use of the portfolio in the school may attach the tool closely to the logic of school and to this period of time. Thus, there is a danger that young people will not go back using their folder after they have left school.
4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative
On the whole, the Berufswahlpass contains the following sections:
- Introduction: Overview over the steps and stages of successful career orientation
- Part 1 “Providers and cooperation”: introduction to the important partners and their tasks (e.g. school, parents, guidance service of the EA, companies)
- Part 2 “Way towards career choice”: assessment and evaluation of interests, competences etc.; checklists on matching skills and interests with job demands (includes counselling of EA and planning the transition from school to VET)
- Part 3: Documentation: collection of all the information gathered
(e.g. interests, goals, practical experiences); arrangement and valuation of the collected documents and certificates
More details in German language under : www.berufswahlpass.de
Additional information
Name of contact
Dr. Bernhard Jenschke
Role (in policy initiative)
Vice President of German National Guidance Forum in Education, Career and Employment ( nfb)
Organization name
National Guidance Forum in Education, Career and Employment (Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V., nfb)
Address
Nationales Forum Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung e.V., Kurfürstenstr. 131, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Phone
+493025793741
Fax
+4930263980999
bernhard@jenschke.de; info@forum-beratung.de
Website address
http://www.forum-beratung.de
Documents and publications
Attached files
Links
http://www.berufswahlpass.de
This information was provided/updated by:
Dr. Bernhard Jenschke, nfb
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Jugendcoaching
Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy
Jugendcoaching
Country
Austria
I am proposing that this example will be published also in the KSLLL database
No
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 services of the Austrian model of career guidance, professional information and individual support at the end of their compulsory school education is called ‚Jugendcoaching‘. It aims to reduce the risk of failing a sustainable integration into education and the labour market. The countrywide information concept ‚Jugendcoaching’ should provide a consulting plan to ensure that every endangered pupil has access to a wide range of individually adjusted and supportive services. The idea behind the initiative is that pupils at risk of drop out should obtain appropriate information and counselling in order to be able to make an independent and well-considered decision concerning their educational future. The concept of ‚Jugendcoaching’ is a bilateral agreement between the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Education and, therefore, a best practice example for an interagency collaboration. The construction of ‚Jugendcoaching’ follows the idea of the Austrian concept of Life Long learning (LLL).
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)
One of the main objectives of the initiative is that teenagers, who have to face integration constraints, can benefit from the provision of a wide range of services such as consulting, supervision and/or individual care. Another important aspect of ‚Jugendcoaching’ aims at motivating pupils to visit school as long as possible or to start an apprenticeship in the labour market. If the objective of encouraging teenagers to complete school successfully fails, a downstream network of mentors will work out possible solutions in form of case management strategies in collaboration with those affected. The focus should lie on identifying potential problems in the personal environment of the teenager concerned. The next step would focus on finding and communicating an adequate and reasonable solution.
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)
The pilot scheme started at the beginning of the school year 2012 initially in Vienna and Styria and, according to the schedule, measures will soon expand all over the country.
The services of ‚Jugendcoaching’ should not replace existing offerings, such as school social work and school psychology services. They rather claim to be unterstood as complementary counselling-orientated services. With the regional implementation of ‚Jugendcoaching‘ we aim to guarantee an open and equal access to information, support and individual counselling. A country-wide development is planned for the year 2013, which requires an adequate range of services all over the country.
Monitoring and evaluation
- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?
- What actors are involved?
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
Since the program was implemented in Vienna and Styria a few months ago, we can determine that the concept enjoys great popularity among youngsters. By now we can record very satisfying figures. Eight months after the pilot project was introduced, we count as many as 4.600 consultations.
We estimated an annual budget for the implementation of the pilot project of around EUR 8.5 million. Up to now an approximate amount of EUR 4.5 million of the available sum was spent.
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?)
It is too early to make a clear statement.
Strengths and weaknesses
- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?
- Are there still challenges ahead?
A pilot scheme took place in selected federal states, starting in the school year 2012/2013. The goal is to establish a well-structured and comprehensive model within the next years.
4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative
Additional information
Name of contact
Dagmar Brandstätter
Role (in policy initiative)
Organization name
Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affaires and Consumer Protection
Address
Stubenring 1
Phone
+4301711002004
Fax
dagmar.brandstaetter@bmask.gv.at
Website address
www.bmask.gv.at
Documents and publications
Attached files
Links
No links specified.
This information was provided/updated by:
No comments by users.
good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, drop-out, young people, access, people at risk, disadvantaged groups, career information, Austria