Development and Pilot Operation of National Database of educational opportunities - PLOIGOS
Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy
Development and Pilot Operation of National Database of educational opportunities - PLOIGOS
Country
GREECE
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
Ploigos gives valid information about Learning opportunities and training possibilities available in Greece in all educational levels and all types of education.
The decisions of EU councils of Lisbon and Stockholm called for the creation of unified information systems on education and training opportunities in Europe. The first phase (2002-2008) of such an information system was completed with the development of PLOTEUS I (Portal on Learning Opportunities throughout the European Space), a European internet portal which aimed to help students, job seekers, parents, guidance counsellors and teachers to find out information about studying in Europe. The development of Ploteus I was assigned by DG Education and Culture to Euroguidance Network. EKEP as the Greek Euroguidance center provided Ploteus I with links to web sites of universities and higher education institutions, databases of schools and vocational training and adult education courses in Greece. The second phase of a European Internet portal on learning opportunities PLOTEUS II (2009-today) does not provide links to websites of education institutions, instead it gives the actual information – details of each educational opportunity. Necessary prerequisite for this was the creation from every EU country of a national database of learning opportunities and the connection of these datasources on the basis of a common protocol. The development of the Greek National Database on Learning Opportunities "Ploigos" was assigned by the Greek Ministry of Education to EKEP.
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)
Objective: The development of the first national database on educational opportunities in Greece
Target group: students of all education levels, their parents, graduates interested for post graduate studies, teachers, counsellors, european citizens interested for studying in Greece
Method: Cooperation with education opportunity providers for the collection of information - Field Study.
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)
Implementation:
1. First we communicated with supervising ministries asking for their support in order to secure the cooperation of the departments, services and organizations within their competence, to define all the sources of educational opportunities within their competence and to assign a representative responsible for the co-ordination of the relevant departments, services and supervised organizations
2. As a result relevant ministerial decrees were issued
3. We created the tool for gathering information, a questionnaire in excel form with the 21 fields - elements (in 4 data sheets) comprising each educational opportunity according to the common protocol of Ploteus II
4. The blank queries were sent by e-mail to the contact person of each educational institution together with detailed instructions for filling
5. The contact persons filled the queries and returned them to EKEP in electronic form (either by e-mail or by regular mail – cds) before a certain deadline
6. EKEP’s team checked the queries for right filling and sent them to contractor for translating in English and insertion to the data base
Level of Implementation: National
Monitoring and evaluation
- What has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation?
- What actors are involved?
Ploigos is already accessible trough the website of EKEP. In order to safeguard the smooth operation, monitoring and evaluation of the database a "team for support and renewal of Ploigos" has been established. In particular this team is responsible for: administration of the database, communication with Ploteus II as well as with national education opportunities providers, enrichment and renewal of the contents of Ploigos (insertion - modification - deletion of educational opportunities), promotion of national educational opportunities database
The following steps have been taken:
1. The contractor (ICT company that developed the Greek national database "Ploigos") has offered EKEP a 5 years warranty for good operation and technical support
2. Since Ploigos will be a permanent national database, EKEP conducted a viability study in order to define the technical, financial and organizational factors that will permit the smooth operation of the database. The system’s architecture permits the enrichment of the content of the database e.g. the entry of new or the change of existing educational opportunities. This can be done either by the institutions themselves with the use of specific passwords or by EKEP’s ploigos team
3. In order to strengthen the dissemination of Ploigos there are plans to promote it by brochures, articles, advertisements in newspapers-TV-radio, presentations in conferences e.t.c. A promotional booklet in Greek and English has allready been handed out to students and guidance counsellors.
The actors involved are:
1. EKEP's "team for support and renewal of Ploigos"
2. ICT company CYBERCE (The company that developed the Greek National Database Ploigos)
3. ICT company EUROPEAN DYNAMICS (The company responsible for the provision of technical assistance to the Commission, in order to ensure the smooth running of Ploteus II portal) and from January 2010 onwards "Intrasoft International"
4. National Educational Opportunities Providers (Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Security etc)
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
"Ploigos" is the first official database of educational opportunities in Greece.
It gives valid information to a broad target group about learning opportunities and training possibilities available in Greece in all educational levels and all types of education. It so promotes the mobility of European citizens within the European space and offers them equal access to educational opportunities
The cost effectiveness is high since Ploigos is the first and only such database in Greece. The information it contains helps students, graduates etc in their educational and career decisions and functions as a multiplier of their opportunities in today's labour market.
The project was financed by the Operational Program “Education and Initial Vocational Training” (EPEAEK II) of the Ministry of Education - Action 2.4.1.a.: “Strengthening of the Counselling & Vocational Guidance structures” - “Support of the EKEP” (European Social Fund program). The development of the database was undertaken by the private ICT company “Cyberce” after the conduct of an international open competition announced by EKEP. The overall budget of the project was 143.266,48 Euros. The development of the system started in 10-9-2007 and finished in 15-5-2009
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 support we had from the supervising ministries e.g. the Ministry of National Education , Lifelong learning and Religious affairs, helped us very much in the process of communication and collection of educational opportunities of schools, initial vocational training institutions etc. However in the cases of educational opportunities providers that were somewhat independent e.g. higher education institutions, it proved more difficult to collect all the educational opportunities on time. Another lesson learnt is that the value of a good ICT company is very important for the successful completion of the project. Good project managing was also a very important factor as well as good cooperation – coordination of all participating parties.
Strengths and weaknesses
- What areas of the policy can we learn lessons from?
- Are there still challenges ahead?
We can learn lessons about the use of an electronic tool (database) in order to promote access to educational opportunities and education information. Other areas are: The interconnection of such tools in European level into a bigger portal (Ploteus II) which supports european mobility. The cooperation between so many different actors (educational opportunities providers, ICT companies, Ploteus II central authority etc)
The challenge is the continuous renewal and upgrade of both the contents and systems of Ploigos in order for it to be technically modern and uptodate in terms of its contents
4. Additional narrative description of the policy/practice/initiative
Additional information
Name of contact
Dr. Dimitrios Gaitanis
Role (in policy initiative)
Project Manager of "Ploigos" National Database of Educational Opportunities
Organization name
EKEP (National Resource Center for Vocational Guidance)
Address
1 Parassiou str. & 99 Aharnon str.
Phone
+30 210 8233669
Fax
+30 210 8233772
dimitrisgaitanis@ekep.gr
Website address
www.ekep.gr
Documents and publications
Attached files
Links
http://ploigos.ekep.gr/ekep/external/index.html
This information was provided/updated by:
No comments by users.
ELGPN, good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, adult education, career information, career management, career planning, education planning, education provision, Greece, guidance in schools, schools and training, student counselling, vocational adult education and training (VET), career management skills, access, quality
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)
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
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 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
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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