European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

Name of the good/interesting practice/initiative/policy

Internet portal www.planet-beruf.de as leading instrument to support career choice and access to career guidance

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

This information portal “planet-beruf.de ” is a combination of different online media supporting young people, teachers and parents in all issues of career choice and also to find the regional service for career guidance and placement into apprenticeships. This combination of online media is accompanied by the yearly updated print and CD media distributed to students, teachers and parents.

The internet portal is provided by the Federal Employment Agency (BA) which has the legal task to provide career guidance for young people and adults. According to § 33 Social Code III this includes the provision of career information and orientation as part of the service. The portal and the assisting print and other media are part of the realisation of the legal task for the target groups. They are also used within the career education classes which are provided co-operatively within schools by teachers and career counsellors according to the Agreement between the BA and the Standing Conference of the Education Ministers of the Laender (KMK) on the Framework of Cooperation between Career Service and Schools (2004).

This example aims at widening access (policy priority of the EU Resolution 2008) to guidance which assists young people to prepare their choice of career and training in a well informed and systematic way. This modern ICT tool also helps users to make an appointment for a face-to-face guidance session if necessary. In addition it is an outstanding example for a concrete co-operation across the two sectors –education and employment (policy priorityEU Resolution 2008).

The online portal www.planet-beruf.de is developed, financed, edited and permanently updated by the Federal Employment Agency considering the changes in schools, training and further training and the labour market.

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 media combination consists of the online portal “planet-beruf.de” (planet profession), a self-exploration programme “Berufe-Universum” (Universe of Professions), a training programme “How to apply for a training or job” and assisting print and CDs media. The self-exploration programme contains a questionnaire to assess interests, strengths, occupational behaviour and school marks to compare this information with job requirements leading to proposals of professions which fit to the user´s profile (you can land on your fitting planets respectively professions). The universe of professions shows the professional profiles and gives further detailed information including videos and films about the related profession or training and on the online portal. It also informs the user whether training opportunities/apprenticeships are available in the region. The online portal is linked to the nationwide databases of all professions (BERUFENET) and the database for all further training facilities including HE (KURSNET)) as well as to the Online Job Market (JOBBOERSE). Besides this online approach comprehensive information and exploration facilities are provided in the local Career Information Centres BIZ.

The aims of the online portal are complex and vary according to the target group. Students of lower secondary schools are the main target group. Planet profession aims to support their choice of a career, to assist their application process and to find a suitable training or apprenticeship. Teachers receive stimulations and suggestions for the career education classes and parents get advice how to support the career choice of their children. But also guidance practitioners, social workers and other partners make use of this offer.

Following a comprehensive approach the detailed media combination covers all relevant aspects of the career choice process. Therefore all media are structured along the process “informing – deciding – applying” and can be used in a flexible way in the classroom, at home or during the counselling session. The class room teaching in career education becomes more vivid and activity oriented. Teachers receive practical ideas for the exploration of strengths and interests as well as for career choice support and application needs. Students are activated through discovering learning and interactive elements and become more self conscious.
The concept, update and elaboration of the media is accompanied and monitored by an editorial board of teachers representatives, social partners and of teachers training institutions.

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 portal is located within the overall webpage of the Federal Employment Agency (www.arbeitsagentur.de) but can also be accessed separately (www.planet-beruf.de). The online portal is assisted by print and CD media which are distributed to more than 11 000 schools and are used in the career classes to increase the use of the portal. Parts of the content can also be used as teaching material during lessons. The online portal is linked to other career initiatives like the Girl´s Day or the Career Choice Passport. All initiatives are implemented nationwide regardless the different school systems of the Laender. Regional agreements on the cooperation of schools with the career service recommend the use of the media of the BA.

Monitoring and evaluation

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

- What actors are involved?

Monthly statistics count the number of users and the calls of pages. Proposals of the customer’s reaction management are welcome and considered for the further development and updating. In 2010 an online user satisfaction survey is planned.

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 start of the portal in autumn 2008 nearly 6 million visitors were counted with about 60 million calls/clicks of pages (March 2010).

Economic aspects of effectiveness are given through the comprehensive use of the portal by students, teachers, counsellors and parents according to their different needs and in increasing the level of information and the self and career awareness of the target groups.
Additionally, the other media (prints, CDs) and the class room teaching of teachers and counsellors become more effective. The face-to-face counselling sessions are more solidly prepared and therefore more effective.

The planet-beruf portal is financed by the regular budget of the Federal Employment Agency (by contributions of employers and employees) in the frame of its legal tasks.

The possibility to integrate all related aspects of information in a comprehensive way reinforce career activities of students, teachers and parents by the use of modern technology. More over the ICT tool allows students to “play” and navigate around the issues of career in a way youth nowadays are familiar with. Youngsters with poor ICT skills can get more competences in using them and thus become more self conscious. In addition new opportunities for teachers are offered by the portal to make their teaching more attractive and authentic in activating students by ICT tools. There are also chat room meetings (dates announced right in advance) where special issues can be discussed or relevant actual information is given by experts.

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 online portal and related print media are linked to each other and both deepen the career reflections of all involved. Therefore, it is necessary to look after comprehensive networking with the contents of the portal in all future print media. This networking is also supposed to include the self exploration programme Berufe-Universum (universe of professions): For the proposed professions according to the strengths and interests of the user more detailed information like profiles of professions, daily schedules of job holders, authentic reports on the reality of the professions and videos and films are offered. Within the interactive portal public stars (like famous soccer players, actors, musicians or others) appear as door openers for questions of career choice by telling their personal (success) stories.

Other persons or institutions working also in the field of career orientation co-operate with the portal planet-beruf.de or use elements of the portal for their work. This means stimulation for co-operation in the guidance field.

Strengths and weaknesses

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

- Are there still challenges ahead?

The strength of this example is without doubt the modern form of ICT approach and the structure and design of the online portal which makes it interesting and attractive for young users. Furthermore, the combination of different tools with related databases makes the complex portal a valuable and flexible support for the task of career guidance and widens access to the offers of the guidance services as a whole.

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

On June 25th, 2010 the Federal Employment Agency was awarded the Comenius multimedia award 2010 for the internet portal www.planet-beruf.de. It received the Comenius-EduMedia-medal for outstanding examples of multimedia products. The award acknowledges the portal’s pedagogical concept, its content and design and underlines that it is particularly suitable for young people.

The Comenius-EduMedia-medal has been awarded for the 15th time by the Society for Pedagogy and Information (Gesellschaft für Paedagogik und Information, GPI). The Comenius awards are the most significant prizes for ICT-based education media.

Additional information

Name of contact

Dieter Romann

Role (in policy initiative)

Organization name

Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Zentrale Team SP III 21 Beratung/Orientierung/Information/U-25 (Federal Employment Agency)

Address

Phone

+49 (0)911 179 1365

Fax

+49 (0)911/179 1333

E-mail

Dieter.Romann@arbeitsagentur.de

Website address

http://www.planet-beruf.de

Documents and publications

Attached files

Links

http://www.planet-beruf.de

This information was provided/updated by:

Dr. Bernhard Jenschke, bernhard@jenschke.de

No comments by users.

ELGPN, good practice, initiative, interesting practice, policy, access, best practice, career guidance services, career counselling, career education, career guidance, career information, career planning, collaboration, communication, public employment service, Germany, young people, internet, provision, services, information technology, job seeking, lifelong guidance, online, placement, school curriculum, teaching, teaching curriculum, teaching materials, vocational guidance, youth education

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

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

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

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

E-mail

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

Term

Career choice

Definition

An individual’s career intention based on their personal aptitudes, abilities, aspirations and goals, tempered by the realities of the labour market and their personal circumstances.
The process through which an individual’s career intention is developed and realised.

Comment

A career choice need not be work-based: the definition is intended to reflect the broad nature of career choices.
The term is often used to describe the process of developing a career intention as well as the outcome of that process.

Source

Career Guidance and Counselling Glossary. Result of Leonardo da Vinci programme project “Overcoming Intercultural and Linguistic Barriers in Continuously Accessible Vocational Guidance and Counselling” (project No LT/03/B/F/LA-171023). Available from Internet: http://glossary.ambernet.lt/main.php?lang=eng#

Attached files

Links

http://glossary.ambernet.lt/main.php?lang=eng#

This information was provided/updated by:

 

No comments by users.

ELGPN Glossary, career planning, career choice

Subject of the Policy document

Act On Employment Mediation And Rights During Unemployment

Reference data

Adopted/Released by The Croatian Parliament

Year of adoption 2008/2009/2010

Reference number Official Gazette 80/08, 94/09, 121/10

Available at http:// narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2008_07_80_2602.html

Available in English at http:// www.hzz.hr/default.aspx?id=7085

1. Additional narrative description of the reference to Lifelong Guidance

Article 1
This Act regulates employment mediation, career guidance, education and training with the aim of increasing the labour force, insurance during unemployment, activities in the labour market with the aim of promoting spatial and professional mobility of the labour force, new employment and self-employment, financial resources for activities of the Croatian Employment Service (hereinafter: CES) and its structure, management and activities.

Article 22
Employment preparation includes the following:
1) career guidance,
2) introduction to methods and techniques of active job seeking,
3) training for employment,
4) professional rehabilitation.

Article 23
(1) Career guidance refers to a number of professional activities which define possibilities, interests and competences of clients, so that they make decisions on their education, training and employment and thus manage their professional development.
(2) Career guidance includes informing, counselling and monitoring of professional development of persons from Paragraph 1 thereof.
(3) Career guidance services are delivered to unemployed persons and other job seekers, pupils and students.

Article 63
CES performs the following activities:
1) monitors, analyses and keeps track of economic, social and other trends, employment figures, employment and unemployment and their mutual cooperation and impacts based on which it proposes measures for promotion of employment,
2) keeps register on unemployment persons and other persons, mediates in employment between employers and job seekers, monitors employment needs, their employment and , in that sense, cooperates with employers,
3) in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and other legal entities, organizes and implements career guidance services, training and other forms of active employment policies …
4) collaborates with educational institutions in order to harmonize curricula with demand for the labour force and implementation of career guidance ...

Attached files

This information was provided/updated by:

Croatian Employment Service (CES), Employment Preparation Department

No comments by users.

policy, active placement, assessment, career guidance services, career planning, Croatia, job seeking, labour market, labour market participation, public employment service, training for employment, proffesional rehabilitation, legislation, career management skills, access, co-operation and co-ordination, quality assurance and evidence-base, adult education, employment, social inclusion