Career Guidance Policy Research Articles

Much ado about nothing?- a comparative perspective on adult career guidance policies in Finland and Denmark

ABSTRACT Transnational organizations like the OECD and the EU have, for many years, focussed on adult career guidance (ACG) as a policy for solving problems, especially those related to the labour market and labour market transitions. In this article, we take a closer look into the development of ACG policies in Finland and Denmark. Drawing on multiple streams theory, we investigate how ACG policies have developed over time, identifying policy windows and the coupling of ACG policies as a solution to different policy problems. We compare across the cases of Finland and Denmark in order to identify similarities and differences with the aim of understanding the development of ACG policies considering the transnational call towards more coherent national systems. Methodologically, we use document analysis, including the examination of policy documents, legal documents, reports and research articles. The period studied spans from the 1990s until today, reflecting the developments at transnational level with the EU Commission and the OECD pushing for more coherent systems.

A systematic review of research into career guidance policy in the Nordic countries (2008-2022)

ABSTRACT This article sets out the findings of a systematic review on research into career guidance policy in the Nordic countries between 2008 and 2022. In total 60 papers were reviewed from across the Nordic region. They focused on national career guidance systems, career guidance systems for young people, the adult guidance system and career guidance for migrants. The corpus proved to be methodologically diverse with studies utilizing a wide range of different research strategies, although important differences were found between academic and grey literature. Most of the papers reviewed were atheoretical, with the remaining, mainly academic, literature drawing heavily on critical theory. The thematic analysis identified four major themes in the corpus: the context for career guidance policy; career guidance provision and practice; technologies of governance; and beneficiaries and outcomes of career guidance policies. The findings are discussed in relation to the strengths and weakness of the corpus and used to propose a research programme for the next 15 years.

대학 진로지도 질 관리를 위한 영국 사례 분석

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to derive implications for Korea by analyzing in depth the background, development process, and contents of quality management of university career guidance in the UK.
 [Methods] We analyzed literature such as UK career guidance policies and government-published data related to quality management of university career guidance, and selected an analysis framework based on the career guidance quality management frame of Hooley & Rice (2019).
 [Results] University career guidance quality management in the UK has established a system and implementation capacity for career guidance quality management in six areas: policy, organization, process, human resources, performance, and consumption, and is continuing its efforts.
 [Conclusion] In order for college career guidance in Korea to provide universal career opportunities for all students, it is necessary to discuss the perspective of approaching career guidance quality management, and a plan should be prepared to advance it in the long run.

The collaborative use of career information by young people and career advisers: A thematic content analysis of career counselling records

This study explores the career information-seeking behaviours of young people and career advisers. These are examined through the interrogation of a secondary data set held by Scotland's national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland. Descriptive and frequency analyses of engagement records from career conversations reveal three key characteristics of information seeking in career advisory settings: prompted information seeking; information seeking on young people's behalf and collaborative information seeking. The original contribution of this study lies in two novel research foci: (a) the identification of distinct patterns of career information-seeking behaviours and colloquial language which signifies that information seeking has taken place and (b) the consideration of young people and career advisers’ collaborative information seeking behaviours and their roles and functions within the career information-seeking process. These findings have implications for the improvement of career services and the development of career information, advice and guidance (CIAG) policies.

Career counselor's training needs in the context of lifelong career guidance policies

The paper discusses the concept of lifelong career guidance as a modern trend brought about by technological advancements and changes in the world of professions. The realization of this concept is linked to the role of career counselors in assisting modern people in making choices and being aware of their ability to cope with economic, social, and other challenges. The findings of two studies on the training needs of career counselors in Bulgaria and other EU countries are briefly described. Based on the research findings, conclusions are drawn about the need for counselors to obtain ongoing training aimed at improving social-emotional competence, working with digital resources, and networking skills.

Effect of Career Counselling on Employee Performance in Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company Limited

Career counseling is a career development initiative in which career education is provided to workers by career counselors to help them appreciate their motivations, explain their objectives, commit to action, navigate career transitions, and learn how they can contribute to the organization's overall effectiveness. The fundamental aims of counseling are to foster behavioral improvement, support decision-making, facilitate the capacity of clients, develop coping skills and improve relationships. Employee performance is a major challenge in organizational management and the key goal of any business enterprise is to take steps to inspire workers to deliver and achieve organizational competitiveness. This study sought to establish the effects of career counselling practices on employee performance in Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company Limited (MUWASCO) in Murang’a County in Kenya. Specifically the study sought to establish the extent to which career coaching, career guidance and counseling programs have influenced employee performance in MUWASCO. The study was guided by trait and factor theory. Descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study. The target population was 150 employees and the researcher employed census sampling technique. The data collection instrument was self-administered questionnaires. Absolute forms of mean, standard deviation and percentages were employed in descriptive analysis. Regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between dependent and the independent variables of the study. The response rate was 85% hence reliability and validity of the study. From the analysis it was observed that the organization has implemented career counseling and this positively contributed to employee performance. A positive and significant relationship between the variables under investigation was demonstrated. The researcher recommends that the organization under study should formulate a clear policy on career coaching to help workers define their personal goals, prepare their career plans and address their needs. The study also suggests provision of adequate information on career guidance and a career guidance policy directed towards enhancing the competencies of workers.

Actantial construction of career guidance in parliament of Finland’s education policy debates 1967–2020

ABSTRACT In this paper we examine the objectives and meanings of the career guidance provided in comprehensive education as set out in discussions in the Parliament of Finland. We approach the topic through an exploration of parliamentary sessions concerning three major legislative proposals for reforming compulsory education in Finland. The premise is that the parliamentary discussions concerning guidance provided in comprehensive education reflect the rationalities that underpin guidance in different eras in Finland and elsewhere. Examining these rationalities provides a way to explore the principles which frame career guidance policy in Finland. Using the actantial model as a methodological tool, the analysis aims to discover the actantial positions in the parliamentary discussions and the interactions that emerge between these. The various actantial narratives demonstrate the way in which guidance is influenced by wider ideological trends. The actantial analysis portrays a shift from the more structural corporatist approaches of the 1960s when the object of guidance was to fulfil the needs of society, towards more third way individualism in 1990s. The current reform of 2020 to extend compulsory education and reinforce guidance may represent some return to more structural approaches.

Theorising career guidance policymaking: watching the sausage get made

ABSTRACT In this article, we propose a framework for understanding career guidance policy. We use a systems theory approach informed by Gramscian theories of politics and power to make sense of this complexity. Firstly, we argue that career guidance policy is made by and for people and that there is a need to recognise all of the political and civil society actors involved. Secondly, we argue that policymaking comprises a series of ideological, technical and practical processes. Finally, we contend that policymaking takes place in a complex, multi-level environment which is can be described across three levels as the policy framing, middle and street level tiers.

Career guidance policy documents: translation and usage

ABSTRACT Through a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study, I examined the intersection of document analysis, sensemaking and policy implementation, that revealed rich descriptions of situated policy contexts and nested working practices where policy actors from Ontario, Canada, and England, UK, translated and used career guidance policy documents. The different job roles of the study participants in Ontario and England influenced complex and differentiated activity during policy implementation, and underlined 25 very individual approaches to translating and using policy documents to support career provision decision-making in participating schools. Implications for future work include roles of all stakeholders as policy actors, opportunities for forming networks to source and access documents, and creating learning conversations to understand policy.

Process description of a dialogue-focused intervention to improve career guidance policy in three schools

To boost the existence of career-learning environments in Dutch vocational education, the innovation project ‘Career Orientation and Guidance (COG) in Secondary Vocational Education’ started in 2012. In this article, we describe the effects of this project on the level of policy formulation and implementation by means of three case studies. Data were collected at three schools through interviews, observations of meetings and teacher training, and analysis of policy documents. We conclude that a dialogue between managers and teachers, as well as among teachers is essential for changes in the learning environment of the students, since formulating a school-wide strategic policy requires communication between the different levels of the organisation, and clear tactical policy or operational plans require teacher teams and their team leaders to engage in substantive dialogues about the Career Orientation and Guidance innovation process. Instructional as well as transformational leadership stimulates a dialogical work environment for teachers and their managers, which is necessary for a dialogical career-learning environment for students.

European career guidance policy: A focus on subtle regulatory mechanisms

Current political strategy to reform career guidance systems in Europe is regulated by subtle practices. Using the governmentality perspective, the purpose of this article is to make sense, in theo ...

Policy and practice in career guidance: The perspectives of Professor Tony Watts

This article examines the perspectives of Professor Tony Watts regarding policy and practice in career guidance from a UK and global perspective. The goal of this article is to synthesise key insights that Tony has gained in his career and then link these insights to current policy and practice initiatives. The method used to achieve the above goal included an interview with Tony and a literature review. 17 insights are presented, with thoughts on implications for career guidance policy and practice.

Testing times: careers market policies and practices in England and the Netherlands

Careers work is a very political business. Since the early 1990s, successive governments in England and the Netherlands have persistently challenged those working in the careers sector to demonstrate the educational, social and economic value and impact of their work. In this context, the marketisation of career guidance policies and practices has expanded, with a growing assumption that market-based goods and services ensure greater responsiveness to consumer choice and offer better and/or more innovative services for lower prices. In this article, we do not intend to give a comparison of trends in England and the Netherlands. We only examine the impact of market principles applied to career guidance provision in both countries. Findings indicate such provision for young people is on a steady decline. Lessons learned from these two nations indicate that a market for quality career services does not exist in schools and colleges. As a result, marketisation and privatisation of career services have led to an impoverished and fragmented supply of services. Greater attention by governments in career guidance policies for young people (and adults) is necessary to reduce the widening gap between ‘the haves and have nots’ in society. Failure to reduce labour market mismatch through new forms of careers dialogue is not only damaging and costly for individuals, families and employers, but for the taxpayer too.

Is career guidance for the individual or for the market? Implications of EU policy for career guidance

This paper explores the essential understanding and underlying perspectives of career implicit in EU career guidance policy in the twenty-first century, as well as the possible implications of these for the future mission of guidance. Career theories, models and concepts that serve career guidance are shaped on the twentieth-century industrial division of labour and now face a crisis due to the influence of globalization on working life. The transition to a knowledge-based society also challenges the traditional view of career: vocational and educational paths are no longer linear, predictable or stable. The analyses of EU policy documents and ethical declarations discussed here indicate that meanings of career are under reconstruction and that these documents fail to clarify the underlying meanings or perspectives on career contained therein. The essential meaning of career, as communicated through characterizations and dominating underlying perspectives in EU policy, puts greater emphasis on career guidance as being conducted on behalf of society, rather than the individual. Ethical tensions within the career guidance profession appear to have increased, and the profession is also challenged in its professionalization by contradictions and broadened areas, activities and functions.

On being a ‘boundary person’: mediating between the local and the global in career guidance policy learning

This paper engages in a series of critical self-reflections on the author's involvement in the spate of career guidance reviews that have taken place since the year 2000, and which were commissioned by such supra-national entities as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and various agencies and directorates of the European Commission. The author argues that this series of overlapping comparative studies – involving 55 countries in all – constitutes a powerful discursive field that has helped to frame career guidance in particular ways, and that it has led to opportunities for policy lending and policy borrowing on an unprecedented scale. The author examines the dynamics of such policy learning, identifying some of its potential motives as well as key mechanisms by which transfers take place through ‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces. He then goes on to raise a series of questions regarding the viability of deterritorialised policy exchange, noting that social practices such as career guidance are inscribed in a particular complex of values, meanings, and significations that are tightly coupled to the ecological climate in which they thrive. Drawing on his experience in the Middle East and North Africa, the author reflects on career guidance in Arab countries in order to illustrate the way transnational, globalised agendas are reconfigured and reinterpreted at the local level. The paper concludes by considering the ethical and epistemological responsibilities that need to be confronted by ‘boundary persons’ who mediate between the global and the local.

The involvement of the European Union in career guidance policy: a brief history

The history of the involvement of the European Union in the development of policy related to career guidance is analysed in terms of three broad periods. In the first two of these, interventions were confined to pilot projects, exchanges and placements, study visits and studies/surveys, with particular attention to young people; whereas the period since 2000 has seen greater attention being paid to lifelong activities that support the implementation of EU policy priorities and their mainstreaming at national level. These trends reflect both the EU’s “creeping competence” and the emerging concept of “lifelong guidance.”

National all-age career guidance services: evidence and issues

ABSTRACT The three major national all-age career guidance services – in New Zealand, Scotland and Wales – have been reviewed using an adaptation of the methodology adopted in the OECD Career Guidance Policy Review. The main features of the three services are summarised, and some key differences and distinctive strengths are outlined. The alternative approach currently adopted by the Labour Government in England, of an all-age strategy rather than an all-age service, is described. Finally, the pros and cons of an all-age service are discussed, in the context of the Conservative Party's proposals to introduce such a service in England. It is concluded that the arguments for an all-age service are strong, and supported by the existing evidence.

Architects of their own future? Swedish career guidance policies

ABSTRACT Few studies have researched career guidance and information policies, particularly at the regional and local level. This article analyses Sweden's national governance of career guidance in schools from 1950 to 2007, and governance at the local level in today's highly decentralised Swedish educational system. The analysis is based on national policy documents and on survey data from Swedish municipalities. It is concluded that the current situation is characterised by traditional ambitions to offer a universal service to all young people, combined with increasing local fragmentation in the provision of educational and vocational guidance.

Career Guidance Policy: An International Review

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, and the European Commission have conducted reviews of the career guidance policies and practices in 37 countries. The 37 country studies, together with the 3 synthesis reports and a number of other commissioned papers, constitute the largest database on career guidance policies that has ever been collected. The present article, based in large part on the 3 synthesis reports, addresses the finding relative to 5 key policy issues: rationale, evidence, delivery, resources, and leadership.

Coming of Age? Overview of Career Guidance Policy and Practice in Australia

In recent years significant international focus has highlighted the critical importance of managing life, learning and work in a constantly changing labour market. This changing world and the corresponding need for individuals to engage in repeated decision-making about learning and work has raised the importance of and necessity for the provision of career development services across the lifespan. This challenge is being addressed by many countries across the globe. Within this context, this paper discusses the initiatives enhancing the status of career service provision in Australia.