European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Career Orientation and Guidance (COG) Incentives plans the Netherlands

Country

the Netherlands

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

Two important initiatives have set the course for Career Orientation and Guidance. Both on secondary education (VO) and on senior secondary vocational education level (MBO) incentive plans were drawn up. Both projects started in 2009 and are still being carried out.
Both plans receive funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The Ministry formulated the principles underpinning the projects.
The Netherlands Association of Secondary Schools (VO-raad) initiated the LOB Incentive Project (2009) to encourage schools to improve the quality of their guidance services. The main aim is to get students to think carefully before deciding on continuing education or a career, based on past experience and their own views. Many factors play a role in this respect, ranging from having a clear view of guidance to encouraging regional cooperation and expertise at school. The LOB Incentive Project, coordinated by the MBO-Diensten project office, is being carried out in cooperation with SBB (formerly Colo) and Skills Netherlands.

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)

By intensifying guidance for students, the project aims to:
• reduce the number of students who drop out, for example because they have chosen the wrong programme;
• give students an accurate picture of their talents, qualities and potential so that they can make sensible decisions concerning continuing education or a career.
Both incentive plans are based on the body of thought of Kuijpers and Meijers.
Kuijpers introduced the concept of career skills. These skills constitute a “beacon” in the field of education:
• Reflecting on motives: Investigating wishes and values important for a career.
• Reflecting on quality: Investigating skills and aptitudes and interpreting them in terms of qualities and talents that can be used to achieve goals in learning and work.
• Exploring work: Exploring work-related demands and values and the possibility of changing one’s work.
• Managing career: Planning and influencing learning and working. This involves making well-considered decisions and taking action to match one’s work and learning to one’s personal work-related qualities, motives, and challenges.
• Networking: Building and maintaining a group of professional contacts in the employment sector that is tailored specifically to one’s own career development.
The design of the learning environment is important in the development of career skills. A powerful, career-focused learning environment has three features
1. Practice-based, functional and real-life. This eases the transition from theory to practice.
2. Active, participatory. This means that students deal with the learning demand-driven content interactively and comprehensively.
3. Reflective and in dialogue

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)

Spearheads of the projects are:
- Professionalization of teachers
- Improvement of transfer from prevocational education-senior secondary vocational education –university vocational education (MBO incentive plan)
- Improvement of transfer from VO to university (VO incentive plan)
- Parental involvement
- More self management of students in COG and study choice

Regional cooperation and partnerships play an important role in further development steps

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

Impact assessment and research are instruments used. The project goals are concretely specified and monitored. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is closely involved in this.

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

- Specific results
Both incentive plans report more awareness of COG in schools. In the VO incentive plan 7 steps are defined to measure improvement. There appears to be more formulated vision on COG at schools, more developments. IN the VO plan organizing professionalization lacks behind the goals set.
- Cost effectiveness
Because of the decentralized character of the plans this is not clearly visible.
- Budget
Because of the decentralized character of the plans this is not clearly visible.
- Innovative aspects
Both plans clearly delivered many innovative instruments and tools, as well as inspiring and innovative good practices. The mbo project gathered all this in a public available Toolbox website.

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 character of the projects is that the Ministry stimulates, not determines developments. This enables creative and innovative solutions with bottom up ownership.
The projects are based on research and researchers are involved in implementing the incentive plans;
Success factor is the network approach: active involvement off all relevant stakeholders

Schools have their own dynamics in improving COG. There are definitely no fixed steps that can be defined here. In the VO plan the professionalization of teachers regarding COG competences lacks behind.
More schools have to be involved, and in schools already involved in COG pilots many developments can still be taken but the blueprint and the tools of how this could be established have become clearer

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

From policy perspective the incentive projects are good examples of bottom up approach supported by top down incentives. The projects give strong stimulus to regional development of career guidance services. Cooperation in the project between and cooperation of relevant stakeholders embeds developments. Many innovative tools were developed.
Strong element is the use of general accepted theoretical models - and the involvement of researchers in the projects.

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

Additional information

Name of contact

Role (in policy initiative)

Organization name

Address

Phone

Fax

E-mail

Website address

http://www.lob-vo.nl/ http://www.mbodiensten.nl/mbodiensten/p000047/projecten/loopbaanorientatie-en-begeleiding-lob

Documents and publications

LOB: de investering waard (2012) (VO-Raad)
Doorstart stimuleringsproject LOB ) (2012) (MBO Diensten)

Attached files

Links

No links specified.

This information was provided/updated by:

Petervan Deursen

No comments by users.

good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, career management skills, access, quality, co-operation, co-ordination, guidance in schools, The Netherlands

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

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

“Early intervention” activities with pupils – partnership based holistic approach in Croatia

Country

Croatia

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 importance of creating social, educational and other conditions for the welfare of young people and their responsible participation in community, including the prevention of early – school leaving is emphasized as priorities in European strategies (e.g. Europe 2020, New Skills for New Jobs) and many national strategies in Croatia (National Youth Program from 2009 - 2013, Development Strategy of the Vocational Education System in the Republic Of Croatia 2008-2013, National Strategy for Entrepreneurial Learning, National Strategy of Equalization of Possibilities for Persons with Disabilities 2007 – 2015).

Presently, career guidance in Croatia is a transversal and comprehensive activity with a cross - sectored approach in youth policy implementation. A clear mandate is given to Croatian Employment Service (CES) to provide support to the educational system through vocational and career guidance services. This approach has been developed on partnership bases between CES, schools, employers, health and social welfare organizations.

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)

Croatian Employment Service includes “early intervention” activities in career guidance as an integrated part of its responsibilities to prevent early – school leaving. This approach has proven to be successful since Croatia has a very low rate of early school leavers (3.9%) in comparison to the European countries (where the average rate is close to 15%).

A key feature in Croatian model is client-oriented approach aiming at providing tailor-made services for pupils at risk (early - school leavers, pupils with health and social problems, learning difficulties, behavioral disorders, etc). Educational, psychological, medical and social aspects are assessed for these target groups which are most in need of comprehensive vocational and career guidance services.

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)

Career guidance services are provided to pupils and students using the so-called ˝tiered services˝, starting from the fact that the largest number of pupils need to be informed about their future possibilities in order to make decision; some of them need additional counseling and are included in group counseling sessions and the smallest number (about 10%) are offered the most intense and complex services which could include psychological-medical assessment as well (for those with the risk of being early – school leavers, pupils with health and social problems, learning difficulties, behavioral disorders, etc). Secondary schools students who achieve poor results are also referred to the expert team for career guidance.

Croatian Employment Service conducts a Survey on Vocational Intentions of Primary and Secondary School Pupils on a yearly basis. Under the leadership of CES professionals, expert teams are set-up in each primary and secondary educational institution in order to analyze the outcomes of the Survey and identify priority groups who may require special attention. Analysis is conducted on individual level (for each pupil), regional level (in relation to labor market needs) of and national level (trends in vocational intentions).

Each year the Ministry of Education adopts the Decision on Elements and Criteria for Candidate Selection for High-School Enrolment enabling pupils with developmental disabilities, health difficulties, learning difficulties, behavioral and emotional difficulties as well as pupils from the Roma minority to achieve direct enrolment or receive extra points to the score set in the enrolment valuation process. In order to obtain these rights, pupils among other documents enclose an expert opinion of the CES career guidance service on their abilities and motivation with a list of recommended educational programmes. In expert opinions on the most adequate choice of further education, needs of the labour market and education opportunities are taken into account, as well as the student's individual abilities and needs. In case of pupils with developmental disabilities (physical or mental disability), career guidance expert team’s opinion enables them direct enrolment in specialized schools or training programs.

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

Monitoring and evaluation of career guidance services in Croatia is carried out periodically by Croatian Employment Service in co-ordination with secondary and tertiary educational institutions. According to the results of the Survey on pupil’s intentions, approximately 60% of the pupil population expresses a need for professional assistance in their choice of further education program. It indicates a further need for further development of group methods and e-counseling services for pupils and students. Career guidance services are planned on a yearly basis according to the expressed needs.

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

In a partnership based approach and coordination between employment and educational sectors, it is considered more cost effective to the entire society to provide adequate support to those of greater need at primary and secondary school rather than spending public money for unemployed citizens when adults.
Career guidance services in Croatian Employment Service are considered a key element in preventive activities in order to avoid potential social exclusion. On average, 30% of the pupil/student population in Croatia is included in the “early intervention” activities of CES career guidance services.

In addition, aggregate results of the Survey on pupil’s intentions indicate the trends in pupils'/students' vocational intentions and are delivered to the stakeholders in the field of education and employment on the county and national level. According to the Survey and forecasting the needs of the labor market for certain occupations, every year recommendations for enrollment policy and scholarship policy are made and referred to the educational institutions, local and regional stakeholders, sector councils and the Ministry of Education.

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 key feature of the ˝early intervention˝ model is client-oriented approach aiming at providing tailor-made services for pupils at risk. It represents a multidisciplinary approach that involves co-operation and co-ordination of experts in the fields of education, employment, health and social welfare. It has proven to be successful since Croatia has a very low rate of early school leavers (3.7%).

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

One of the challenges is the positive discrimination of pupils at risk as a way of addressing their disadvantages in educational and labor surroundings. A necessity to develop more efficient tailor-made CG services for pupils at risk exists, which leaves fewer opportunities for providing CG services to other target groups (undeceive pupils, talented pupils, etc.).

Currently, Croatia is in the process of establishing a LLCG National Forum and drafting legislation for guidance provision. The awareness of inter-institutional cooperation is increasing, including the need to define the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders on national, regional and local levels.

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

Additional information

Name of contact

Mirjana Zećirević

Role (in policy initiative)

Head, Employment Preparation Department

Organization name

Croatian Employment Service

Address

Radnička cesta 1, 10 000 Zagreb

Phone

+385 1612 6091

Fax

+385 1612 6039

E-mail

mirjana.zecirevic@hzz.hr

Website address

http://www.hzz.hr/

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, career counselling, career guidance services, disabilities, health difficulties, learning difficulties, co-operation, co-ordination, Croatia, drop-out, early school leaver, effectiveness, employment services, expert opinion, group counselling, young people, schools, guidance provision, labour market information, PES career guidance service, prevention, professional informing, school children, secondary education, self-assessment, survey, transition, vocational guidance, youth education, VET, employment, guidance in schools, career information

Subject of the Policy document

Act On Education In Primary And Secondary Schools

Reference data

Adopted/Released by The Croatian Parliament

Year of adoption 2008/2009/2010/2011

Reference number Official Gazette 87/08, 86/09, 92/10, 105/10, 90/11

Available at http:// narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2011_08_90_1927.html

Available in English at http://

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

Article 57
(1) Educational institutions cooperate in implementation of their core educational activity to achieve optimal enrolment and placement of pupils.
(2) Schools also cooperate by receiving services from a social / health care institution, especially if it concerns work with rehabilitation services and content.
(3) Educational institutions cooperate with employment services and other institutions with the aim of achieving timely information levels and career guidance of pupils.

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Croatian Employment Service (CES), Employment Preparation Department

No comments by users.

policy, enrolment and placement of pupils, access, career guidance, children, co-operation, co-ordination, comprehensive school, compulsory education, Croatia, education and training systems, education policy, guidance for youth, guidance in schools, primary education, secondary education, vocational education and training, youth education, legislation, co-operation and co-ordination, schools, VET