C AREER GUIDANCE AND STUDENT COUNSELLING IN FINLAND

For learning and competence

CAREER GUIDANCE AND STUDENT COUNSELLING IN

FINLAND

21 May 2007

Helena [email protected]

2 For learning and competence

FEATURES OF THE FINNISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

Equal opportunities for education irrespective of age, domicile, sex, economic situation or mother tongue

Instruction free of charge

Centralised steering of the whole - local implementation

Education system almost entirely publicly funded


NATIONAL LEVEL AND DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE PROVISION

THE FINNISH NATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION

curriculum guidelines for guidance provision in basic, vocational, upper secondary general and adult education

evaluation projects

development projects

in-service training for guidance practitioners


FINLAND NATIONAL LEVEL

GOVERNMENT Ministry of Labour:

- Youth Society Guarantee (young people unemployed for three months < 25 years)

- training of the staff in employment offices Ministry of Education:

- Education and training guarantee

- 97 % of the age group should continue their studies after basic education

- evaluation of guidance provision in higher education and development projects

- training of career counsellors


COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS

UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS

VOCATIONAL COLLEGES

POLYTECHNICS

UNIVERSITIES

EMPLOYMENT OFFICES

Vocational guidance and career planningEducational and vocational information services

Employment exchange services

CENTRE FOR INTER-NATIONAL MOBILITY CIMO

Euro-guidance Finland

FINNISH GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SYSTEM

1) An additional 10th year is voluntary giving pupils an opportunity to improve their grades and clarify their career plans.

2) Vocational upper secondary education and training

is arranged in vocational schools (including at least six months of on-the-job learning) and in the form of apprenticeship training. Adults can obtain vocational

upper secondary qualifications also in competence tests.

3) The Ministry of Education has granted permission

to a number of polytechnics for trial post-graduate degree

programmes for 2002-2005.

5

4

3

2

1

UNIVERSITIES

4

3

2

1

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

3

2

1

SCHOOL YEARSAGE

PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

Compulsory

education

BASIC EDUCATION

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

WORK EXPERIENCE

WORKEXPERIENCE

SPECIALIST VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

FURTHER VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

3

2

1

POLYTECHNICS

VOCATIONALUPPER SECONDARYEDUCATION and TRAINING

GENERAL UPPERSECONDARY EDUCATION

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF FINLAND

1)

2)

3)

SCHOOL LEAVERS AFTER 9 YEARS OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN FINLAND IN 2004

School leavers (comprehensive school)

66 300 (year 2000)

61 500 (year 2002)

63 523 (year 2004)

2 % optional 10th year in comprehensive school

38 % upper secondary vocational

education

54 % upper secondary general education

5 % did not continue directly in education


CROSS-SECTORAL COOPERATION

National level national working groups – national forums give

proposals to improve guidance policies

Regional level regional working groups prepare regional

strategic plans for providing guidance services

Municipality level groups planning curriculum guidelines

Organisational level student welfare groups


EVALUATION OF GUIDANCE PROVISION IN FINLAND 2000–2006

The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC): Evaluation of guidance in Higher Education 2001, a follow-up study 2006

The Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE): Evaluation of guidance provision in comprehensive and secondary level 2001–2002

FNBE: Evaluation of guidance in adult education 2002–2005

FNBE: Evaluation of Career Centres in secondary level vocational education 2002

OECD: Activity on guidance policy 2001–2003


LEGISLATION 1

Acts for comprehensive, upper secondary and vocational education:

pupils and students are entitled to have educational and vocational guidance during every working day at school

multi-professional cooperation

Universities and polytechnics

the institutions must have procedures how to support students in making individual study plans and taking into account both learning and career management skills


LEGISLATION 2

Decrees for comprehensive education (CE), upper secondary and vocational education :

student counsellors take care of vocational and educational guidance (CE)

cooperation with working life – possibility to have time for work experience (CE)

guidance and counselling in classrooms, possibility to have personal counselling

support in learning difficulties


DISTRIBUTION OF LEARNING HOURS IN CAREER GUIDANCE

COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION

lessons 2,5 hours during 7-9 grades

UPPER SECONDARY GENERAL EDUCATION

1 obligatory and 1 specialisation course during 3 years

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

min. 1,5 study weeks


NATIONAL CORE CURRICULUMThe Finnish National Board of Education National curriculum guidelines for educational

and vocational guidance for comprehensive education, upper secondary and vocational education :

goals and contents of educational and vocational guidance

guidance and counselling in classrooms, personal counselling, small group counselling, work experience periods

HOLISTIC APPROACH: general instructions for

- internal division of labour: student counsellors, principals, group advisers, teachers

- multi-professional cooperation

Student/group

Teacher

Partly in teaching

1st in-line

3rd in-line

Exp

erts

insi

de

the

scho

ol

Not included in teaching

Exp

erts

out

side

the

scho

ol

SU

PP

OR

T O

N

PE

RS

ON

AL

AN

D

SO

CIA

L IS

SU

ES

CAREER GUIDANCE AND

COUNSELLING

EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE

Holistic model for counselling (Esbroeck & Watts 1998)

2nd in-line


BASIC GOALS OF CURRICULUM GUIDELINES

support personal growth and development

promote the development of study skills and to help in learning difficulties

counsel and guide students in educational and vocational and professional orientation


SUPPORT ON PERSONAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Psycho-social support

- life situation and life history of the student

- self knowledge and self-esteem of the student

- life management experiences

- student welfare services

- multi-professional cooperation


EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE

- learning and studying process

- individual study plans

- counselling and support when planning studies and choosing courses

- learning methods and strategies

- students are aware of their strengths and weaknesses as students


CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

• educational and occupational plans

• career development

• plans for the future

• knowledge of working life

• studying and working abroad

• promote students’ skills for planning and realising life long learning

• skills to use different tools to search information


NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR GUIDANCE PROVISION AND CAREER EDUCATION

municipalities or regions prepare a strategic plan for guidance provision

each school makes an operational plan for the guidance provision

regular evaluation of produced services

multi-professional and cross-sectoral cooperation – expert groups

partners: parents, employment offices, social and health care, youth workers, employers, etc.


Counselling process (Kasurinen 2005)

CURRICULUM GUIDELINES: psycho-social support counselling of study skills and learning career counselling

1 9Choices. decision making

COOPERATION WITH WORKING LIFE

FOLLOW-UP

INDIVIDUAL STUDY PATHVocational school

Upper secondary school

TRANSITION

TRANSITIONTO WORKLIFE ORFURTHEREDUCATION

TRANSITIONTO FURTHEREDUCATION

Flexibleoptions

Comprehensive education

OBJECTIVES OF COUNSELLING (Kasurinen 2006)

STUDYSKILLS

LIFEMANAGEMENTSKILLS

STUDENTREADINESSEMPOWER-

MENT

PARTICIPATION

SELF ESTEEM

SKILLS TO PLANAND MAKE CHOICESAND DECISIONS

INTERACTIONANDCOMMUNICATIONSKILLS

CULTURALCOMPETENCE

WORKING IN GROUP

PROFESSIONALGROWTH


METHODS

- lessons

- individual counselling sessions

- small-group counselling

- ICT in counselling

- distant counselling

- practice in working life

- visits


- GOAL is to give adults an opportunity to complete their unfinished studies and to improve their lifelong learning skills

- GUIDANCE focuses on designing personal curricula, developing study skills, selecting relevant subjects and making education, training and career choices

- Individual and small group guidance and web-tutoring are available to adult students

BASIC AND GENERAL UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION OFADULTS


GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING AT POLYTECHNICS

• COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SYSTEM e.g. planning of studies, international exchange opportunities, student financial aid issues, …

• CAREER SERVICES in all polytechnics offering services to students and employers

• INFORMATION about careers, recruitment and job exchange at

• http://www.jobstep.net

http://www.jobstep.net/


GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING AT UNIVERSITIES

• GENERAL STUDENT COUNSELLING for students at universities and for those seeking admittance to them

• SPECIAL OFFICE FOR STUDENT GUIDANCE: information about studies, practical training, open university courses, …

• FACULTIES/INSTITUTES: student affairs secretary, academic and other staff members responsible for tutoring and advising

• CAREER AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES: meeting point for students and employers -> job opportunities after graduation

• MORE INFORMATION at http://www.aarresaari.net


LEGAL BASIS OF THE PRACTITIONER QUALIFICATIONS The qualifications required for school counsellor

posts at comprehensive and secondary level educational institutions are defined in the relevant legislation (Teaching Staff Qualifications Act 986/1998, § 6, § 11, § 15 and Decree 576/1998).

In HE institutions no legal basis


NUMBER OF GUIDANCE PRACTITIONERS IN FINLAND

Comprehensive education ~ 1000

Upper secondary general education ~ 430

Secondary level vocational education ~ 300

Polytechnics ~ 400

Universities ~ 470

60 ECTS in counselling

Pedagogicaltraining 60 ECTS

+

+

Vocationalhigher levelcertificate asprerequisitetraining

D

Masterdegreeprogramme300 ECTSasprerequisitetraining


+

C



A

Master in Education300 ECTS

Masterdegreeprogramme300 ECTS


+

B

60 ECTS in counselling asa minor subject

Training modes of school counsellors in Finland


IN-SERVICE TRAINING OF COUNSELLORS AND TEACHERS

OPO.FI-training:

training student counsellors to use ICT and integrate ICT and internet within guidance service

Regional consultant training programmes (3, about 120 regional consultants)

Teacher training programmes in counselling

Student counsellor training programmes in counselling methods (individual and small group counselling)

Training programmes dealing with regional cooperation in counselling


SUPPORT FOR HE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE SERVICE DELIVERY

National in-service training for faculty members both in universities and polytechnics funded by the Ministry of Education– http://www.w5w.fi

– http://www.oped-exo.fi


GOALS OF THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

regional cooperation

cross-sectoral and multi-professional cooperation

development of counselling and guidance services in different educational settings

development of content and methods of guidance and counselling


GOALS OF THE NATIONAL PROJECT

development of follow-up systems in order to prevent dropping out

development of systematic feedback systems of counselling and guidance services in different educational settings

development of quality criteria for guidance and counselling services


OVERVIEW ON THE KEY FINDINGS OF THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF GUIDANCE

Establishment of 50 regional fora

Key success factors:– Representatives from key stake holders and social

partners

– Establishment of regional strategy for co-operation

– Documentation of the progress

– Jointly produced framework for the cooperation (consistency, common trust, communication)

– Linkages with national guidance policy development


NETWORKS

NETWORKS

CROSS-SECTORAL

MULTI-PROFESSIONAL

AVAILABILITY AND SUFFICIENCY OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR EACH YOUNG AND ADULT PERSON

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTOF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

- developing guidance and counselling in different educational settings

-realise the goals of national curriculum guidelines

- develop professional skills of studentcounsellors and teachers-develop counselling of

transition phases

Counselling students

withspecialneeds

Earlyintervention

Young people in danger

of droppingout

Multi-cultural

counselling

Gendersensitive

counselling


is available on the internet at

http://www.cimo.fi

-> in English -> Publications

GUIDANCE IN FINLAND –booklet

Documents

C AREER GUIDANCE AND STUDENT COUNSELLING IN FINLAND