REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE EUROPEAN TRAINING FOUNDATION USING THE OECD CAREER GUIDANCE QUESTIONNAIRE REVIEW OF CAREER GUIDANCE POLICIES FINAL REPORT SLOVENIA Author: Sasa NIKLANOVIC Head of Department for Vocational Guidance of the Employment Services This report was the subject of an official consultation process during May and June 2003 with the Slovenian Ministries of Education, Science and Sport and Labour, Family and Social Affairs. The text has not yet been subject to final editing or language revision.
This national report (based on the OECD questionnaire on career guidance policies) was prepared in November 2002 by: Saša Niklanović - head of the Department for Vocational Guidance in Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). He began as a career counsellor in the ESS, at the Regional Office in Ljubljana. He then led various projects in the field of vocational guidance, including the introduction of job clubs in the ESS (1995), the reform of the guidance services of the ESS (1996 99), the establishment of the Vocational Information and Guidance Centre in Ljubljana (1997 99) and the establishment of the NRCVG in Slovenia (1999). He also participated in a number of other projects that had as a goal the development of guidance methods. He is a member of the European Commissions Expert Group for Lifelong Guidance and of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG). E-mail for correspondence: sasa.niklanovic@ess.gov.si 1
CONTENTS 1. Overview 2. Key goals, influences, issues and initiatives 3. Policy instruments for steering services 4. The roles of the stakeholders 5. Targeting and access 6. Staffing 7. Delivery settings 8. Delivery methods 9. Career information 10. Financing 11. Assuring quality 12. The evidence base 2
1. OVERVIEW Here we would like a brief overview of arrangements for information, guidance and counselling services in your country. 1.1 Please provide a brief (no more than one page) overview of national arrangements for career information, guidance and counselling services in your country. In answering this please describe the principal service providers, and indicate the extent to which the provision of career information, guidance and counselling overlaps with or is integrated with other services. Indicate how responsibility both for managing and for funding information, guidance and counselling services is divided: between different Ministries (for example Education and Labour); between different levels of government; and between governments and other providers. If possible, include as an Annex the contact details and homepages of key players and main providers of services. (Note: questions that allow more detailed descriptions of services can be found elsewhere in the questionnaire). The principal providers of career guidance services in Slovenia are schools and Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). In both settings professional counsellors are employed. Guidance in schools is provided by school counsellors who work in school counselling services. Guidance counsellors are employed in primary schools (age 6-15) and secondary schools (age 15-19). They provide broad range of guidance services (personal, social, vocational). According to research carried out in education sector, school counsellors spend about 30% of their working time for tasks related to vocational guidance. In secondary schools this percentage is lower (about 11%). Schools have at least one school counsellor, bigger schools have two or three counsellors. Guidance in ESS is carried out by career counsellors working in local and regional office throughout Slovenia and is co-ordinated by department for vocational guidance at central office. First Vocational Information and Counselling Centre (CIPS) was established 1999. In 2002 seven CIPS are operating in the frame of Employment Service Slovenia (two of them are bigger) and two in partnership with other partners. Career counsellors in ESS and CIPS provide guidance service for unemployed and students. In principle, guidance service is offered also to other adults (employed) but in practice they present only 2% of all clients. (ESS, Report on vocational guidance activities 2001). In last two years small adult educational guidance centres (ISIO) located in adult training centres are emerging. They are co-ordinated by Slovene Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) and provide guidance to adults during and after the educational process. Sometimes adult training centres have full time counsellors (in ISIO centres) but in most cases guidance is provided by other staff in the centre. SIAE develops professional doctrines, maintains databases on training and guidance opportunities and carries out relevant projects. There are some other organisations operating in the field of guidance. Chamber of Craft is responsible for apprenticeship system (craft). Its role is to find suitable employers, licence them, arrange contracts, place apprentices etc. Chamber also produces information materials on apprenticeship (on apprentice system, learning opportunities) and actively promotes craft occupations and job prospects (fairs, etc.). Chamber of Commerce and Industry was in the past not active in the field of guidance. Most contacts between schools and employers were arranged without participation of the Chamber. In the last few years Chamber has shown growing interest in guidance and began to co-operate in guidance projects. The Centre for Vocational Educational and Training (CPI) also became active in the field of guidance, providing information materials on vocational occupations, vocational training. CPI is promoting a number of guidance projects and is very active in recent national project for drop-out prevention. 3
In Slovenia there is no guidance service specialised for students in higher education. Students can get guidance and counselling in ESS and VICC but this help is not specialised. Responsibility for management and funding reflects organisational structure of services: school counsellors are funded by Ministry of Education. There is no special budget for other guidance activities in schools, therefore it depends on the school how much resources are spent for guidance activities (informational materials, etc.). Career counsellors in ESS are financed from ESS budget. There is also a special budget for guidance activities (information production, collection and dissemination, ICT, training, etc.) and national contribution for NRCVG, which operates in the frame of ESS central office. ESS provides and fund substantial part of national guidance programme for school students in primary (and secondary) schools. In the early nineties, some private counselling agencies, which provide mostly vocational training or placement, but also some guidance activities, have emerged. Some bigger companies provide guidance services for their employees. 2. KEY GOALS, INFLUENCES, ISSUES AND INITIATIVE Here we would like you to provide information about the broad goals for information, guidance and counselling services, about the influences that are shaping these services, about the key issues in their organisation, management and delivery, and about important recent initiatives. 2.1 What are the key objectives and goals of national policies for information, guidance and counselling services in your country? Please describe differences in objectives and goals that might exist between Ministries. Where a legislative basis exists for these objectives and goals, please provide details. Relevant legislation refer mostly on guidance services and counsellors, not on guidance. The Act on Vocational Education and Training in 1. paragraph defines goals. One of the goals of the vocational education and training is to enable students to choose the occupation and prepare for it. In Slovenia there is no single national policy on guidance. National policy documents do not explicitly define goals of guidance or guidance services. Document Strategic Goals of the Development of Labour Market and Employment (2000-2006) mentions guidance programmes among other measures in context of achieving higher level of development of human resources for different target groups: employed, unemployed and drop-outs, but there are no statements of specific objectives for guidance. In ESS documents (Source: Overview of the Employment Service of Slovenia, 2001) the goal of guidance is not specified, but it s indirectly recognised that guidance plays an important role in achieving basic goals of ESS, particularly the second one: to facilitate successful professional development to individual. Sometimes, there are some differences between professional and management structures. First, the most important goal of ESS, is to reduce unemployment and increase employment. Management structures sometimes expect that guidance will have higher and more direct impact on unemployed to fill current vacancies, thus professionals emphasise long-term effects of guidance. It s common agreement that guidance and counselling in ESS contribute to higher level of employability of unemployed. There are also no specific objectives existing for guidance in education sector. One of the goals of schools in Slovenia is also to prepare students for work but it refers to schools, not to guidance. Sometimes expectations from the Ministry responsible for labour differ in a way that guidance should do more to fill current vacancies, but in general, there are no indicators 4
showing that differences between both Ministries in Slovenia on the level of goals and objectives, though not explicitly written down, would be a serious problem. Key objectives of adult educational guidance are defined Act on Adult Education and in support document to National Programme for Adult Education adopted by National Council for Adult Education. Guidance is defined as one of the basic activities necessary to achieve objectives of adult education. Guidance is designed as the network of local, regional and national guidance providers, which is supposed to stimulate adults for education. 2.2 What are the major social, educational and labour market influences that are currently shaping national policies for information, guidance and counselling services? Though in Slovenia we can not speak about single guidance policy or co-ordinated policies, there are signs that Ministries and other organisations are aware of a need for guidance and are aware of some influences, which require different policy in the field of guidance. Some of these signs, mentioned in paragraph 2.5. Initiatives and changes (mentioned in 2.5.), point out that today more institutions/organisations (etc.) show interest in guidance and also became active in this field. Though in some cases the extent of these activities might be limited (to one or two pilot projects or limited production of information materials), it is slowly growing from year to year and means big change compared to ten or more years ago, when ESS, and schools and some employers were the only providers of guidance activities. The major influences causing changes in the policies of different institutions are: The changes on the labour market where knowledge became more important issue than before the transition. It seems citizens and relevant authorities and organisations have become aware of this change. Now, there are much more people enrolled in education and training programmes including people from targets groups (unemployed above 40 or 45), who were traditionally not involved in training and education. Rapid pace of changes has similar results as mentioned above. Fast changes also cause feelings of uncertainty. Low educational level of adults and level of their motivation for education. The problem is also low literacy level, which has been confirmed in the international study of literacy level among adult population. There are certainly other less obvious and less researched influences. It seems that people perceive, that a level of social standard is more connected to a level of education as before. As a result the number of students and people involved in other forms of training increased enormously. People are also much more aware that jobs are insecure and that they need to update their knowledge constantly. Authorities and organisations dealing with education and training therefore try to offer those people some help (guidance), using different approaches and forms. 2.3 What are the most important issues facing policy makers in your country in the organisation, management and delivery of information, guidance and counselling services? One of the problems, which the policy makers have been facing in last few years, is the lack of financial resources due to the restrictions of the budget. The budget allows to run existing extent of services but does not allow implementation of new guidance activities. For policy makers in employment sector the most controversial issue is the fact that effectiveness of the ESS is measured only by one criteria number of unemployed placed to 5
employment in one year. Since guidance has other, in many cases long-term impacts, this system of measurement is not in favour of guidance. In such system it s very difficult to justify many guidance activities in ESS, especially those for students. This criteria is also not in compliance with strategic goals (defined by Ministry). In education sector one of the major problems is the delivery of careers education. The education reform (mostly finished in 2000) had some positive effects on guidance. The most important is the adoption of Guidelines for School Counselling Services (in 1998) where vocational guidance became officially one of most important functions of school counsellors. Unfortunately in later stages of curriculum reform no time in schools curriculum has been assured for career education. Next issue is small number of Vocational Information and Counselling Centres (Center za informiranje in poklicno svetovanje CIPS). Students who live out of big cities have more difficult access. Another handicap is also small number of counsellors in ESS. 2.4 Please describe any recent (last five years) initiatives and changes that are of particular significance for the organisation, management, funding, staffing, or delivery of information, guidance and counselling services. For example you might like to describe initiatives such as: government reports that have recommended new approaches or new priorities, new methods and philosophies of providing services (for example within the context of lifelong learning), new or proposed legislation and regulations, new or upgraded services or the down-sizing or elimination of existing services, changed priorities for access to services, changed responsibilities between agencies for the provision of services, new education and training requirements for staff, initiatives to engage citizens in the planning and delivery of services, changes in the involvement of the private sector, technological developments that have made a real difference to the ways in which services are delivered and/or accessed There have been a lot of initiatives and changes in last five years in guidance in Slovenia. The most significant are: Guidelines for Schools Counselling Services, adopted in 1998 by National Curriculum Commission, is a document which for the first time define roles and tasks of school counselling services. Guidelines were discussed before with school counsellors. Reform of guidance service in ESS (1997-1999). Before the reform, the guidance service of ESS carried out the guidance activities for pupils in primary schools and students in secondary schools. Because of the high level of unemployment, ESS decided to organise also career counselling service for unemployed. ESS did not get any additional staff for this service, therefore the extent of some guidance activities for students (like individual career counselling) has been reduced. At the same time ESS intensified other guidance activities, like information production and developed a range of new methods and techniques. This reform was done at the same time as PHARE PVICC, described in next paragraph. All this enabled that the quality level of services for students has not been reduced. PHARE project Pilot Vocational Information and Counselling Centre (PVICC in Slovene CIPS) 1997-1999). In 1999 first CIPS was established in Ljubljana as a result of this project. It was a regional centre, but it functioned as a model centre for other centres. Strong emphasis in the project was on development of new guidance tools and staff training. The results of the pilot centre were implemented on the national level soon after the completion of the project. Establishment of NRCVG Slovenia in 1999. This centre was established with active co-operation between ESS and Leondardo National Agency in Slovenia, who 6
supported this project with the resources allocated for establishment of NRCVG by European Training Foundation. Centre became a member of the NRCGV Euroguidance Network. Guidance activities of CPI (Centre of Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training). CPI provides information od vocational occupations, study courses, vocational schools etc. Some guidance projects should be mentioned. First is current Leonardo da Vinci project VirtuOrientation (CPI is a partner), which is shortly presented in 8.2. of this report. Another is Model of Vocational Guidance in Vocational School which was a project in the frame of Innovation Fund (PHARE MOCCA) where CPI was a promoter. Slovene Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) is collecting, producing and disseminating information on adult education. Centre is national promoter of lifelong learning in Slovenia. Centre developed non-formal educational programme called Project Learning for Young Adults (PUM) and carry out evaluations. In last two year Centre introduced Centres for Adult Educational Guidance (ISIO). Employers are in last years more interested in participating in guidance activities. Chamber of Craft intensified information activities related to apprentice system (see 4.1. and 4.2.). Chamber of Commerce and Industry is involved in the project aimed to intensify cooperation between schools and employers (see 4.1. and 4.2.). Manuals, professional literature; the level of professional development in the field of guidance was low in eighties and first half of nineties. There was little training of guidance counsellors, except training on the use of psychometric instruments. It s also difficult to find any manuals or professional literature in Slovene language from this period and the new methods as well. In the period from 1997-2002 more methods have been developed, more manuals and professional literature published and more training of counsellors provided than ever before. The examples of new methods are: development of CIPS (Centres for Career Information and Counselling), CAG programme Kik (see 9.2.), career planning workbook Occupational signpost (see 7.4.). The examples of manuals are (see 7.2.) Manual on Career Education published by Institute of Education, another published by private sector and Manual on Adult Educational Guidance published by SIAE (2002). 3. POLICY INSTRUMENTS FOR STEERING SERVICES Here we wish to know about the key policy instruments that are used to steer information, guidance and counselling services, and about how policy goals are translated into service delivery. 3.1 How important is legislation in steering information, guidance and counselling services in your country? Please briefly describe the main pieces of legislation that directly affect information, guidance and counselling services. More complete details and examples can be provided in an Annex. In this paragraph only most important pieces of legislation are presented. Many other documents (organisational regulations, etc.) are not mentioned here. Guidance in the Slovene legislation is only briefly mentioned in various acts. First is Act on Employment and Insurance Against Unemployment 1997). Guidance is mentioned in paragraph 66 among other activities of ESS: (ESS) provides vocational guidance, information and counselling for young people and adults and develops methods and tools for vocational guidance. 7
Guidance is mentioned again in paragraph 49, which states that unemployed persons attending employment programmes have right to claim for a free access to guidance, information and counselling. Among the acts on education the most important for guidance is The Act on Organisation and Funding of Education. School counselling service is defined in paragraph 3: In public schools and kindergartens the school counselling service operates. It provides counselling to apprentices, pupils, students, teachers and parents and co-operates with tutors, teachers and school management in planning, following-up and evaluating the development of schools or kindergartens, in performing educational tasks and provides vocational guidance. The tasks of school counselling services are carried out by school counsellors who are psychologists, pedagogues, social well-fare workers, social pedagogues and defectologists. School counselling service liase with Employment Service of Slovenia when providing vocational guidance services. The last sentence is important as a legal base for co-operation. Other acts on education only mention that schools counsellors exist or define data, which school counsellors can collect and protect. Vocational training and education system in Slovenia will be improved in near future. Recently the document Starting Points for Curriculum Development in Secondary Vocational Education and Training has been developed and adopted by Council of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training. On the basis of this document the programme for the competence "employability and career planning skills" will developed and introduced as one of 16 key competencies in future national curriculum. Act on Adult Education (1996) in the article 24. defines counselling as the activity which is a part of the Annual Programme of Adult Education, which is adopted every year by the government. Article 29 of the same act defines standards for the financing of guidance staff. 3.2 What other instruments are normally used for the political steering of information, guidance and counselling services and to monitor implementation? For example you might like to describe the use of instruments such as outcomes targets, mandatory or voluntary service quality standards, mandatory or voluntary competency standards and qualification standards for staff, competitive tendering for services and the like. Guidance in education sector is defined in Guidelines for Schools Counselling Services, which define minimal standards of guidance services, i.e. what kind of guidance services should be provided to all students of primary and secondary schools. Guidelines were developed in 1998 in the frame of broad curriculum reform in Slovenia. Standards are explained more in details in the paragraph 7.4 of this report. Guidelines are very important document for guidance counsellors because guidance activities are defined on the concrete level. Legal basis for guidance in education are too general and too undefined. In Employment Service of Slovenia the targets are defined in terms of the number of counselling sessions and other forms of guidance activities provided by counsellors; targets are defined on the level of whole guidance service and on the level of regions. There are no mandatory standards. We can speak about voluntary standards in the case of NRCVG Slovenia, which prepared guidelines for establishing and operating of local VICC which include standards of technical equipment, staff etc. These standards are not officially approved yet, but are (more or less) respected by those, who are establishing new VICC in different locations in Slovenia. There are no mandatory or voluntary competence standards for staff, the only requirement for counsellors is university level of education (see 3.1.). The same is true for tendered services. 8
3.3 Please describe how government regulation, funding and provision of information, guidance and counselling services are related to one another. Is the same (government) body typically responsible for all three, or are they carried out by separate agencies? In education sector government regulations define conditions (minimal number of pupils or students in school) under which school can employ counsellor. Other regulations define their status, salaries and data protection. In employment sector government regulations refer to funding of some guidance programmes (together with employment programmes), but no regulation refer to provision. Educational guidance for adults is regulated by Ministry of Education, Science an Sport and co-ordinated by SIAE. 3.4 What mechanisms, if any, exist for co-ordinating information, guidance and counselling services: between different Ministries; between different levels of government; between governments and other parties such as employers, trade unions, the private sector, and community groups; between services for youth and for adults; and between the different agencies that provide services? Though institutions (partners) co-operate around some common issues (legal issues, employment programmes, fairs, etc.), there is no permanent mechanism for co-ordinating information, guidance and counselling services between different Ministries and other institutions (partners) mentioned in this question. Lack of effective co-ordination on the policy level is causing more and more problems in practice every year. In last two decades two or three attempts have been made to formalise such co-operation. The last attempt was made in the period 1997-1999 when Expert Group for Vocational Guidance was established by Ministry responsible for education and Ministry responsible for labour. The aim of the group was to prepare proposals for both Ministries for development and implementation of guidance projects, tools, programmes etc. The group has worked for more than two years, achieved some results but never succeeded to make substantial impact on the policy of both ministries. The mandate of the group was not renewed after the elections in 2000 when the new government was established. Both Ministries now show the increased interest for the closer co-operation in the field of guidance and the interest to formalise this co-operation, but due to many other priorities of both Ministries, the guidance very seldom comes on the agenda. There are also no formal mechanisms for co-ordinating guidance activities among other partners providing guidance. In spite of that, partners co-operate quite often; particularly public services, employer associations, and agencies for adult education. The role of the trade unions in this field is minimal. The role of local communities is usually minimal with some examples of good-practice. In last two years there was an example of good cooperation between local partners in the field of educational guidance for adults (ISIO centres). I don t see any other barriers to co-operation than lack of awareness that co-ordination can bring better effects of guidance and benefits for all partners. 3.5 What barriers exist to co-ordination of services and to networking among providers? One of these barriers is sometimes lack of awareness as described in 3.4. Providers are usually preoccupied with the tasks they are responsible for, and sometimes do not see the need for co-operation. For private providers a barrier to co-operation is sometimes a fear of competition. In spite of the above mentioned barriers, the level of co-operation between 9
different providers is quite impressive. They co-operate around some common events (fairs, seminars), tasks (information materials), training or projects. 4. THE ROLES OF THE STAKEHOLDERS Here we wish to know about the roles played some key stakeholders other than government Ministries -- such as employer organisations and trade unions in information, guidance and counselling services. 4.1 What role do employer organisations play in regulating or funding information, guidance and counselling services? For example by participating in advisory and co-ordination bodies; by contributing to common funds for information, guidance and counselling services; through providing employee leave to take part in career guidance; or through participation in programme management committees. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry as perhaps the most important employer organisation in Slovenia is financially involved only in one guidance project. Some individual members are also involved as the authors of occupational descriptions. Though some employers are actively working with schools, they do it independently. The employee leave for participating in careers guidance (if there is any) depends on the employer. The chamber has no system of providing employee leave to take pat in guidance. The Chamber of Craft has responsibility for apprenticeship system. The regulation in this field does not refer to guidance. There is no evidence about eventual guidance activities of other employers associations. 4.2 What initiatives do employer organisations take to help provide information, guidance and counselling services? For example: involvement in career information programmes in schools and tertiary education; the provision of guidance and counselling; organising careers fairs and exhibitions; or the production of career information. The Chamber of Craft is very actively involved in organising fairs and production of information materials related to apprenticeship system. Both Chambers participate on the regular yearly meetings of school counsellors, where they present latest developments. 4.3 Does employer involvement in information, guidance and counselling services tend to be: In answering this question please tick the box that best applies. You might also like to add some descriptive material in support of your response. In Slovenia employers (enterprises) co-operate directly with schools, not through their association (Chamber of Commerce and Industry). If this question refers to the employers (according to 4.3.) the answer is as follows: 10
Seldom Occasional Regular 1 2 3 4 5X Local Mostly local, but some national 50-50 Mostly national, but some local National 1 2X 3 4 5 Trade unions 4.4 Do trade unions play a role in regulating or funding information, guidance and counselling services? For example through participating in advisory and co-ordination bodies, or in programme management committees. Trade unions have representatives in steering board of ESS but are not directly involved in management and funding of guidance services. 4.5 What initiatives do trade unions take in providing information, guidance and counselling services? For example involvement in career information programmes in schools; providing guidance and counselling; or producing career information. Here also describe any initiatives taken by trade unions to provide information, guidance and counselling services to their own members. Trade unions sometimes provide information and advisory service for their members, but mainly on legal or financial issues. The exception was the Trade Union for the Unemployed, which provided some help to the unemployed to find jobs. The trade unions in general do not provide any kind of career guidance. 4.6 Does trade union involvement in information, guidance and counselling services tend to be: In answering this question please tick the box that best applies. You might also like to add some descriptive material in support of your response. Seldom Occasional Regular 1X 2 3 4 5 Local Mostly local, but some national 50-50 Mostly national, but some local National 1X 2 3 4 5 11
Other stakeholders 4.7 Please describe ways in which policies encourage other stakeholders such as parents, associations of students, alumni, community organisations, educational institutions or the end-users of services -- to play a role in information, guidance and counselling services. For example through roles that are expressed in legislation; through policies to contract service provision to non-government organisations; through membership of advisory bodies; through membership of programme management committees. The primary school policies try to involve parents to participate in some guidance activities. In many schools, the parents arrange visits to the organisations where they are employed with the goal to present occupations (jobs), nature of work, employment prospects etc. Sometimes parents present their occupations and their experience to the students. In some schools the co-operation of parents in guidance activities is strong, in some schools this participation is minimal. In secondary schools, the participation of parents is rare. The students organisations play more important role every year in the provision of guidance to students in tertiary education. This could be the answer to the lack of government funded guidance provision for students in Slovenia. I am presenting students guidance fair Get Job as an example of involvement of other stakeholders in the provision of guidance at the same time it is the example of the lack of guidance provision by institutions (universities, government, communities etc.). Example of good practice: Student guidance fair Get Job It started with the student s fair called Top job, which has been organised every year. At the beginning it was organised only for students of the Faculty of Economic. In 2001, for the first time, Get Work fair was organised by students organisation called Komisp. It involves dozens of events in major towns in Slovenia and finishes in Ljubljana with the biggest event - the fair. Get Work is sponsored by Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, ESS and some others. The organisers succeed to get the co-operation of many organisations, government institutions (ESS), employers etc. Many bigger employers and the private jobsearching agencies participate too. The fair is also well promoted in media. In past, the Community organisations very seldom saw themselves as partners in guidance provision. This attitude is now changing due to the development of the labour market and due to some European programmes, (PHARE, Leonardo etc.) which require partnership participation and support the local development. The regional development agencies (RRA), established a couple of years ago, are now actively participating in the HRM projects on the regional and local level. Local partners are also actively involved in the development of the ISIO centres (centres for guidance in adult education). 5. TARGETING AND ACCESS Here we want to know about priorities for access to information, guidance and counselling services. This section also asks about how services are provided for adults. 12
5.1 Please describe any priorities or target groups for information, guidance and counselling services, including how priority needs are established. For example target groups might include: school students; young people; adults; unemployed people; those receiving social welfare benefits; tertiary education students; employees; refugees and members of ethnic minorities. Target groups are defined on different levels. Generally, they are defined on the level of legislation, as described in 3.1. In most of other documents, targets groups are usually defined in the context of the employment and education and are not defined explicitly for guidance. An example: in the employment sector, the unemployed people are priority target group for the employment activities consequently they are priority target group for all services in ESS, including guidance service. In employment sector, the target groups are defined on the national level in the document Employment Action Plan 2000-2001 and 2002-2003. This action plan is constructed on the basis of priorities and guidelines of the European Commission and involves activities for many target groups: unemployed, employed, students, long-term unemployed, unemployed without vocational qualification, older unemployed, young unemployed, drop-outs, disabled, etc. and the measures for each target group; sometimes guidance activities are among these measures. In other cases, the target groups are defined by organisations (providers) according to their mission. In school broadly defined target group is school students. In past some schools and counsellors decided to work more with certain target groups, like underachievers, pupils with behavioural problems etc. From 1998 according to Guidelines for School Counselling Services the target group is all students in the school. Counsellors should carry out all activities listed in the Guidelines and work with all students. Guidance is also one of there activities. School counsellors should provide guidance activities in compliance with minimal standards of guidance activities as defined in Guidelines. Though school counsellors gave support for the Guidelines in 1998 they also said that in practice it s sometimes very difficult (or impossible) to meet so broadly defined standards and goals. ISIO centres offer information, guidance and counselling activities to those who are less educated with the aim to raise access to education and training. 5.2 How are any such priorities or targets expressed? For example give details of any legislation that provides rights or entitlements to services for particular groups. The text on guidance in Slovene legislation is very short and is presented in 3.1. Other examples are presented in 5.1. 5.3 Where such priorities exist, what active steps are taken to ensure that access to services is possible for target groups? For example one-stop-shops ; drop-in services that do not require appointments; telephone helplines; use of community organisations for service delivery; targeted advertising. There are examples of active steps. One is establishing of Vocation Information and Counselling Centres (CIPS). ESS traditionally adhere to one-stop-shop approach. The 13
telephone help-lines are rare and not as popular as they could be. The community organisations do no deliver any guidance activity. Targeting advertising sometimes exists. Although it s usually not enough intensive, there are some good practises, like promotion of dual-education system by Chamber of Craft, promotion of Centres for Adult Educational Guidance (ISIO) etc. Though many target groups are mentioned in policy documents, (see 5.1.) the access to services for some target groups is not good. The examples of such groups are drop outs, university students and ethnic minorities. The reasons for low access are different. One reason is that existing guidance services are not specialised for the needs of those clients. Some clients (usually drop-outs) do not accept existing guidance service as institution which can offer them real help and see them as the part of the system which they don t like. 5.4 Typically, are different methods used to provide services for different target groups? I can say that typically different methods are used for different target groups though there s feed-back from practitioners that the range of different methods (or programmes) is not satisfactory. There s a lack of suitable methods specially for drop-outs. ESS has a programme suitable for drop-outs, called Project learning for Young Adults (Projektno učenje za mlade, PUM ), but the offer does not meet the demand. There s a lack of other suitable methods (like outreach etc.). 5.5 Do examples exist in which individuals are required to take part in guidance and counselling? For example to continue to receive social security benefits or pensions; or to avoid expulsion from school. There is only one such example in Slovenia. The unemployed, registered at ESS, are obliged to attend informational seminars, where they get the information on employment possibilities, employment programmes, training, and other opportunities which they have. They also get the information about their duties. The reason that this programme has been introduced as mandatory is frequent excuse that clients are not informed enough. The other examples are different: the unemployed persons get financial benefit (scholarship), if they attend vocational training, etc. 5.6 Do policies for information, guidance and counselling services favour: A comprehensive approach (so that services are universally accessible and meet a wide range of needs); or A targeted approach that favours those in greatest need; or Both of these approaches. -A comprehensive approach (services are universally accessible and meet a wide range of needs); --A targeted approach that favours those in greatest need or both of these approaches. It seems that in education sector the policies favour more comprehensive approach. Guidelines for School Counselling Services in primary and secondary schools clearly define that school counsellors work with all students (and run preventive measures), not just with those who already have more problems. In 14
practice many times school counsellors deal with pupil who have problems (learning, behavioural, etc.) Situation in ESS is slightly different. I would say that both approaches are favoured depending on circumstances. Comprehensive approach is favoured regarding target groups; there was no resources in past to establish specialised guidance service in ESS, therefore counsellors do counselling for all target groups. In different circumstances approach is targeted; because the number of unemployed is to high, only unemployed with more barriers to employment are referred to career counsellors. 5.7 Please describe the major gaps, if any, in the provision of information, guidance and counselling services. Are there any groups whose needs appear to be met less effectively than others? Target groups, which experience lack of service, are students and drop-outs. Also counselling for disabled should be improved. There are also gaps in guidance service for employed adults: they can get some guidance in VICC, but this service is not publicised, so not many employed adults use this service. They can get educational guidance in ISIO centres. Only some bigger employers offer effective guidance and counselling service. Services for adults 5.8 Please describe how information, guidance and counselling services are organised and provided for adults in your country. For example: which agencies (educational institutions, community organisation, the public employment service) typically provide services for adults; are these different from the agencies that provide services for youth; how are different agencies co-ordinated; what priority do services for adults have compared to services for youth; what recent initiatives have been taken to provide services to adults. Employment Service of Slovenia offer career counselling to adults, mainly unemployed but also to employed (2% of all clients are employed adults). Employers; Only bigger employers offer real guidance and career counselling to employees. There are big differences among employers. In some cases, companies also financially support further education and training, in other cases this support is limited, occasional or not existing. Adult Education Information Centres for (Centres ISIO) offer information and counselling to adults who are interested for education and training. Private agencies mostly offer job-placement service or training. Mostly they do not declare themselves as career-counselling services. One of the reasons is, that it s difficult for them to get experienced career counsellors, who work (get experience and training) in public guidance services. Most private employment agencies have concession from Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs to provide employment and training programmes for the Ministry and ESS. Some of these programmes have been developed by ESS which also train staff of private employment agencies (the example: Job-Clubs). Some agencies developed their own programmes based on job-search techniques and techniques of group work. It s surprisingly that it s practically impossible to get high quality individual career counselling on the market. Some other organisations, like Chamber for Craft and Chamber of Trade and Industry, produce information materials and are active in promoting occupations, but have no guidance 15
service for clients. Local units of both chambers offer some information and advice to their members, (and apprentices) but mostly on legal and business issues. In some cases, they offer also some information on education and in most cases refer interested clients to training providers, employers or guidance services. Secondary vocational schools provide also vocational training for adults but very little or no guidance. These schools have schools counsellors, but only some of them offer their service to adults, since they see their role only in providing guidance to students in regular programmes. In 2001 five Adult Educational Guidance centres (so-called local guidance centres for adult learners in Slovenia), which are open to all adults in the local community that are in any way interested in adult education or learning, were developed and in 2002 were developed another four local guidance centres. Their work is co-ordinated by Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE). Guidance centres offer adults information on opportunities for additional education or professional training for spare time or for an occupation in their local environment, on the enrolment conditions for various programmes, on the possibilities of transferring between programmes, on the duration of education, on the methods of knowledge assessment, on learning assistance and on possibilities for continuing education. In addition, they also provide counselling on the selection of suitable education, in overcoming learning and other difficulties linked to education, and in the planning and monitoring of an adult's education. Through the provision of information and guidance in person in guidance centres, telephone conversations with advisors, and the provision of information by electronic mail or over the Internet, any adult considering participating in education or already engaged in education can obtain answers to questions. Group guidance or guidance outside the guidance centre is also possible by arrangement. In addition, guidance centres in a local environment also link other institutions into the local network in order to provide a higher quality and more comprehensive and diverse range of guidance. Educational guidance is free of charge. It is intended for all adults in the local environment, with special attention paid in individual environments to those target groups that have more difficulty in accessing education, that need more incentives to participate in education, and that need various forms of help to persist with education to a successful conclusion. 6. STAFFING Here we wish to know about the types of staff that provide information, guidance and counselling services in your country, and about their qualifications and competencies. In answering this section, please describe differences between staff in the different settings in which information, guidance and counselling services are provided: for example schools, tertiary education, community organisations, public employment services. 6.1 What types or categories of staff are employed to provide information, guidance and counselling services in your country? For example information librarian, classroom careers teacher, school counsellor, public employment service counsellor. In schools, guidance is provided by school counsellors, who are full-time counsellors. In principle, counsellors don t teach but there are some exemptions. There are no career teachers in Slovene schools. Career education is not a special subject. It s supposed to be included, according to Guidelines on Career Education, in other subjects. In reality, the extent of career education in the curriculum is limited. The Act on Organisation and Funding of Education (brought in 1996) defines in Paragraph 3 occupational profiles eligible to work in 16
school counselling services: psychologists, pedagogues, social well-fare workers, social pedagogues and defectologists. Career counsellors in Employment service Slovenia are mostly psychologists. There are only few exceptions, mainly elderly employees. In Vocational Information and Counselling Centres (CIPS) there s a very small number of extra staff at the information desks. They provide information to clients, help them to find information resources, refer them to counsellors etc. (counselling service in VICC is provided by counsellors of ESS). They have mostly 3-4 years post-secondary education or university degree. There are at present 5 counsellors (plus 15 part time counsellors) in ISIO centres in Slovenia who have University degree; they are andragogs (pedagogues for adults), pedagogs, sociologists or psychologists (source Centre for Adult Education). There are no reliable records about counsellors and other HRM staff working in industry. 6.2 What is the best information that can be provided on the number of staff, by type or category, who are employed to provide information, guidance and counselling services in your country? Please indicate if information on their age, gender and equity group structure is available. Structure of counsellors in schools: Primary schools According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia Rapid report (No 57, March 2002), there are 503 primary schools in Slovenia. 60 elementary schools with special curriculum are included in this number. There are also more than 300 subsidiary elementary schools, which are not included in this number since they are not independent. They are attached to central schools and run only first four years for a very small number of pupils and do not employ counsellors. Scholl counsellors from central schools provide guidance services also to pupils in subsidiary schools. According to the same source, 645 counsellors are employed in these 503 schools. 597 are full-time employed, 48 part time. Approximate1ly, one third of counsellors are psychologists, less than one third pedagogues and similar percentage are social well-fare workers. Other occupations are represented only in a small proportion though the number of social pedagogs is increasing. There is no evidence on the age and gender, but it s not difficult to make an estimate about the gender vast majority of counsellors in schools are women. Secondary schools In Slovenia exist 130 secondary schools or school centres and all employ school counsellors. Counsellors are employed also in 43 student residence centres (študentski domovi) which are aimed for students who live too far to commute every day. These centres are sometimes attached to schools but sometimes they are independent. In secondary schools and residence centres work 179 counsellors. 42% of them are psychologists, 36% are pedagogs, 10% social well-fare workers, 7% social pedagogos. 5 % of counsellors have other educational background. About 50% of those counsellors work as a full-time counsellor, due to regulations, which defines criteria (the number of students in schools) which school must meet to get funding for counsellor. The rest of the counsellors carry out also other tasks (teachers, assistant to school principle, etc.) to meet requirements for full-time employment in school. Most of the counsellors are women. 17