Lifelong Guidance Research Articles

Challenges of collaborative governance in lifelong guidance in Finland

ABSTRACT The aim of the paper was to analyse the ways in which collaborative governance appears in the context of lifelong guidance in Finland. The research question was ‘What are (in terms of problem-solving, collaborative process and multi-relational accountability) the challenges for collaborative governance of lifelong guidance in Finland?’ The analysis drew from ten in-depth thematic interviews with experts working on issues related to the governance of lifelong guidance at the central government of Finland and related interest groups. Our analysis showed that, despite the progress made, institutional structures, practices and perceptions challenge the implementation of collaborative governance. The results point out three key challenges: The first generally relates to the aim of increasing collaborative governance, the second to the creation of a collaborative network and the formation of shared objectives in lifelong guidance and the third to the concept of multi-relational accountability. A key question in addressing these challenges is how to evaluate and verify the benefits of collaborative governance.

Digitalisation and Lifelong Guidance Policy in Hungary: Lessons to be learnt from the COVID-19 stress

Digitalisation and Lifelong Guidance Policy in Hungary: Lessons to be learnt from the COVID-19 stress

The Importance of a Coordinated Career Guidance System in Addressing the Rural NEETs Issue

A rapidly ageing population, the dual transition, major changes in the job market, and the coronavirus and its effects amplify existing disparities (gender gap, urban-rural cleavages), posing a considerable challenge for peripheral regions. In these circumstances, the labour market integration of young people who are neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) is becoming increasingly urgent for peripheral regions such as rural areas. Various legislation, policies, and community-based interventions play a significant role in promoting integration. Still, subjective factors such as self-efficacy beliefs affect perceptions of career opportunities and can even prevent some from seizing opportunities. As a result, approaches to tackling the rural NEET issue need to focus on a long-term, sustainable solution. One could be career guidance, which helps individuals take charge of their lives and choose meaningful careers and educational paths. Consequently, our research aimed to identify the conditions in 22 European countries related to career guidance that lead to low rural NEET rates among 25–29-year-olds. Career guidance systems were explored through content analysis of country-specific reports on lifelong guidance systems and then analysed using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The research results draw attention to the importance of coordinated career guidance systems in preventing and (re)integrating NEETs, as it helps make informed, meaningful, and long-term career decisions.

A proposal for a National Competency Framework for Career Professionals

This publication is a respond to the need presented in the Finnish National Strategy for Lifelong Guidance 2020–2023 (Valtioneuvosto, 2020) to prepare national competence descriptions for the field of guidance. The publication is based on a literature review and co-creation process involving several hundred guidance professionals and experts from all over Finland. Based on the competency framework, Kettunen et al. (2023) have developed assessment forms for career professionals and organisations. The project behind the competency framework development is described in detail in a separate report (Vuorinen et al., 2023). The competency framework proposal has been prepared as part of a national development project for lifelong guidance which is funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the Development and Administrative Services Centre (KEHA Centre).

Creating space for praxis in adult and employment guidance: collaborative development of the model of enabling employment guidance (MEEG)

ABSTRACT The fast-changing world of work has justified the need for contemporary, accessible and inclusive models of lifelong guidance, underpinned by principles of social justice and equity, that meet a range of needs, and have the ambition of leaving no one behind. While guidance provision is widely available across most education systems, guidance for the labour force is less accessible and often fragmented, varying in quality, scope, evidence-base and practice. For services to be fully effective adult and employment guidance practice must find ways to transfer knowledge and experiences of the daily practice of guidance, to advance professional learning and development, and ensure its assimilation into practice and policy for the benefit of clients. Drawing on qualitative data, this paper illustrates the role of praxis in informing a new model of employment guidance, the MEEG, and the challenges for adult guidance practice within activation-oriented public employment systems.

Career experts' conceptions of systems development in lifelong guidance

AbstractThis article reports the findings from a phenomenographic study of career experts’ conceptions of systems development in lifelong guidance settings. The results show that conceptions of systems development in lifelong guidance varied from minimal, aspirational, strategic to systemic. By exploring the logical relationship between qualitatively different conceptions, it provides policymakers and other stakeholders with a way of holistically viewing the varying levels of lifelong guidance systems development. The matrix presented in this article may serve as a catalyst for reflection on crucial elements, such as legislation, leadership and cooperation, that have the potential to improve systems development in lifelong guidance.

Italian University Museums challenges and perspectives

The recent history of Italian University Museums starts with the first Network created by 12 Italian Universities, coordinated by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, for a project, approved and financed in the year 2013 by the Ministry of the University and Research, The Network realized a bilingual web portal to increase the interest for science through the knowledge of museums collections and to promote a critical, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary dialogue (https://of.unimore.it/retemusei/www.retemuseiuniversitari.unimore.it/site/home.html). This Network, increased in 2014 with the inclusion of two Universities, between 2015 and 2018 realized a new project concerning educational paths for lifelong guidance to the scientific method and culture published in the second section of the Network web portal. In 2019 the Network, with other Universities, for a total of 29, created a quarterly web magazine University Heritage. Cultural Heritage on the web (https://universityheritage.eu/). Another relevant initiative for Italian University Museums is the first census promoted and carried out by CRUI – Conference Italian University Rectors – between 2017 and 2019. This census revealed that 40 Universities have museums for a total of 182, number certainly set to increase. Now for the Italian University Museums, like for all Italian museums, there is a challenge: to become part of an articulated network coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum System.

Youth and Children's Orchestras: Analysis of the Educational Experience and Some Reflections from the Field of Lifelong Guidance and Counseling

Youth and Children's Orchestras: Analysis of the Educational Experience and Some Reflections from the Field of Lifelong Guidance and Counseling

Developing lifelong guidance and counselling prospective by addressing individual and collective experience of humanness, humanity and the world

Developing lifelong guidance and counselling prospective by addressing individual and collective experience of humanness, humanity and the world

Individual and social commitments of youth on their way to adulthood demonstrated in innovative projects

Having addressed the topic of the preparation of youth to adulthood the author refers to Malcom Knowles concept in which he pointed out several aspects of this process. The author also refers to main components of the European lifelong guidance policy. References to the European guidelines with respect to youthwork lays the background for the review of threes projects. Main assumptions of each project and an outline of their implementation have been laid out in the article. The author puts major attention on the review of achievements of youth on their way to adulthood. They have been illustrated with reflections of the participants who reported on their benefits and transformations which young people experienced.

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT APPROACHES OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING RESULTS IN EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES

Work based learning (WBL), introduced in Vocational education and training (VET) system, promises to increase economic competitiveness and development of the knowledge-based economy in Latvia. WBL aims to provide knowledge and understanding regarding types of work in a chosen occupation, build specific competencies needed for work and motivate young people to acquire 21st Century skills for smoother transition from education to sustainable employment and development of their professional career. WBL is closely linked to life-long guidance at all stages of decision making: future occupation or workplace, upskilling or reskilling, acquisition of transferable skills or career management skills. Ensuring effective integration of life-long guidance with WBL three elements are essential: engagement before entering WBL programmes; achievement within WBL to encourage participation and successful completion; transition to work after graduating VET supported by personalised follow-up and on-going career support.WBL is a new approach for most European Union Member States (EU MS), ensuring a positive impact on employment perspectives for students by providing skills demanded by employers and an acceptable level of VET quality, allowing the VET graduate to find a job quickly or obtain a well-paid job. The European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for VET (EQAVET) is an EU instrument to improve the systems of Quality Assurance (QA) in VET, based on a quality cycle and on using performance indicators and self-assessment. EQAVET proposes indicators that could be utilized to monitor VET provision and for peer reviews between EU MS. Most indicators serve as VET performance indicators, however some characterize VET impact on the graduate’s transition to work. Analysis of the positive and negative aspects of VET QA indicators could be the basis for development of WBL and support life-long learning strategies.

A framework to think of school and career guidance in a VUCA world

ABSTRACT In this article I propose a theoretical model concerning schemes and interventions relevant to lifelong career and life construction. I use different concepts, such as (1) the VUCA world to define the complex environment and how individuals can respond to this complexity, (2) Life Design which postulates that career construction requires identity construction, (3) lifelong guidance, counselling and learning which defines an individual's personal and professional construction at all stages of life and (4) the guidance-oriented approach to learning which proposes interventions allowing personal and career construction at school. This work is rooted in current thinking about how to help individuals, individually and collectively, to build their future. A model is proposed with the objectives of helping contribute to the development of individuals' professional lives and determining support actions that seek equity and social justice in their environment, at school and in the labour market.

Karijerni centri: podrška studentima u upravljanju karijerom

Osnivanje karijernih centara u javnim visokoobrazovnim ustanovama u Hrvatskoj u značajnom je porastu u proteklih nekoliko godina. Poticaj toj praksi bila je Strategija cjeloživotnoga profesionalnog usmjeravanja (CPU) i razvoja karijere 2016. – 2020., koju je donijela Vlada Republike Hrvatske, kao i razni oblici neformalnog stručnog usavršavanja za karijerne savjetnike, koji su potom uslijedili u organizaciji Agencije za znanost i visoko obrazovanje ili postali dostupni putem Euroguidance mreže (europska mreža nacionalnih centara za podršku profesionalnom usmjeravanju) čiji je član nacionalni Euroguidance centar koji djeluje u okviru hrvatske Agencije za mobilnost i programe Europske unije. Među stručnjacima za pitanja karijere prevladava stajalište da je karijeru potrebno kontinuirano usmjeravati te po potrebi preusmjeravati i nanovo oblikovati. Za upravljanje karijerom potrebne su vještine koje treba stjecati tijekom školovanja, kako bi se nakon završetka školovanja lakše i brže pronalazilo radno mjesto. Međutim, suvremeno dinamično tržište rada, gotovo da više ne poznaje radno mjesto za cijeli život, zbog čega nam je potrebno cjeloživotno profesionalno stručno usavršavanje, a time i kontinuirana podrška i usmjeravanje, koje u sustavu visokog obrazovanju trebaju osigurati karijerni centri. Iz tog razloga potrebno je ojačati postojeće karijerne centre i formirati ih gdje nedostaju, pri čemu je potrebno osigurati stalna radna mjesta jer visoka učilišta ne mogu dugoročno planirati uspostavljanje i razvoj karijernih centara oslanjajući se na volontere i zaposlenike privremeno ili djelomično zaposlenih na projektima.

Where medical education meets artificial intelligence: ‘Does technology care?’

'COLD' TECHNOLOGIES AND 'WARM' HANDS-ON MEDICINE NEED TO WALK HAND-IN-HAND: Technologies, such as deep learning artificial intelligence (AI), promise benign solutions to thorny, complex problems; but this view is misguided. Though AI has revolutionised aspects of technical medicine, it has brought in its wake practical, conceptual, pedagogical and ethical conundrums. For example, widespread adoption of technologies threatens to shift emphasis from 'hands-on' embodied clinical work to disembodied 'technology enhanced' fuzzy scenarios muddying ethical responsibilities. Where AI can offer a powerful sharpening of diagnostic accuracy and treatment options, 'cold' technologies and 'warm' hands-on medicine need to walk hand-in-hand. This presents a pedagogical challenge grounded in historical precedent: in the wake of Vesalian anatomy introducing the dominant metaphor of 'body as machine,' a medicine of qualities was devalued through the rise of instrumental scientific medicine. The AI age in medicine promises to redouble the machine metaphor, reducing complex patient experiences to linear problem-solving interventions promising 'solutionism.' As an instrumental intervention, AI can objectify patients, frustrating the benefits of dialogue, as patients' complex and often unpredictable fleshly experiences of illness are recalculated in solution-focused computational terms. SUSPICIONS ABOUT SOLUTIONS: The rate of change in numbers and sophistication of new technologies is daunting; they include surgical robotics, implants, computer programming and genetic interventions such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). Contributing to the focus of this issue on 'solutionism,' we explore how AI is often promoted as an all-encompassing answer to complex problems, including the pedagogical, where learning 'hands-on' bedside medicine has proven benefits beyond the technical. Where AI and embodied medicine have differing epistemological, ontological and axiological roots, we must not imagine that they will readily walk hand-in-hand down the aisle towards a happy marriage. Their union will be fractious, requiring lifelong guidance provided by a perceptive medical education suspicious of 'smart' solutions to complex problems.

Narratives of Struggle. Lifelong Guidance and Future Planning Alternatives for People with Disabilities in Hungary

Narratives of Struggle. Lifelong Guidance and Future Planning Alternatives for People with Disabilities in Hungary

A Second Chance with Lifelong Guidance in Northern Hungary

A Second Chance with Lifelong Guidance in Northern Hungary

Digital devices in the governing of the European Education Space: The case of SORPRENDO software for career guidance

In this paper, we discuss the case of the recent introduction of a career guidance software within Italian schools with the aim to explore the use of digital devices in the governance of educational processes within the field of lifelong guidance. First, we provide a semiotic analysis of the software and its online platform with the aim of exploring how it articulates a complex network of material and discursive relations. Second, we show the types of practices the software makes ‘affordable’ within the Italian school context, and the organisational and cultural tensions it creates. Following recent studies on digital governance and adopting a policy instrument approach, we show how the introduction of a digital object within the school environment mobilises school actors around new ways of conceiving and delivering education that transcends the local dimension (looking towards national and European ideas) and favours the penetration of economic imperatives and rationales within Italian schools. The career guidance software analysed constitutes in this regard a meaningful illustration of how the governance of the European education space is mediated, activated and accomplished using digital instruments. Software, platforms and websites exert a persuasive power on their users, who in turn contribute to transform the educational order while transforming themselves.

Technological Mediations, Lifelong Guidance and the Reshaping of the Teaching Profession

Technological Mediations, Lifelong Guidance and the Reshaping of the Teaching Profession

Geronto guidance: Lifelong guidance

We argue that older workers and retirees have a right to be esteemed as members of society. Few guidance activities currently focus on one of the final and important transitions in life, the process of retiring. This process raises challenges to personal identity and self-esteem which could be ameliorated by support in the later years of working life. But most guidance activities are aimed at youth or at people at job and/or education transition points earlier in their lives. With an ageing population, this will have to change. Geronto Guidance is a blind spot in lifelong career guidance.

Unheard: the voice of users in the development of quality in career guidance services

ABSTRACTThe centrality of the users as partners in quality development is highlighted in official documents on career guidance, such as the EU Resolutions on Lifelong Guidance from 2004 and 2008. In addition, increased numbers of scholars in the field of organisational development and public service innovation highlight the importance of user participation as key in building stronger and more relevant services. Thus, policy rhetoric and research-based knowledge point in this direction: the main person in guidance interventions is the user, and the user should be involved. With this backdrop, it would seem evident that the voice of users was taken seriously in the planning, in the selection of methods and in the practical ways of offering guidance. Nordic research, however, shows that there is quite a gap between the rhetoric and realities when it comes to the systemic involvement of users in designing and offering guidance, even in the Nordic countries where democracy and active citizenship are so deeply rooted. This situation reveals some aspects of the uneasy relationship between individual and society.