Vocational Guidance in Europe

The contribution aims at two levels: first, it outlines the basic structure and logic of the Academia+ project (2018–2021). To this end, it identifies the basic needs of counsellors and career guidance practitioners and the resulting key challenges. In addition, he exemplifies the project logic and procedure in the three thematic areas “counselling migrants and refugees”, “future work” and “demographic change”. The project has two central objectives at this point: the first one is to support and consolidate the exchange and transnational training of counsellors in Europe, and the second target is to focus on the development of training programmes to address current key challenges in labour market and counselling. The anthology, and thus this contribution and the Academia+ project, sees itself first and foremost as a space for transnational exchange, with national perspectives on European challenges and a transnational synthesis.

The aim of this chapter is to map the current situation in Cyprus regarding migrants’ integration in education and in the labour market and explore the corresponding challenges that they face, as well as some possible solutions to address those challenges. In parallel, the gaps in knowledge and competences of people who work with migrants—such as counsellors, social workers, psychologists and VET trainers—are analysed, while some effective tools and methods are mentioned.

The chapter starts with an analysis of the current situation of migration in Cyprus, including some general facts about the migrant population’s composition, educational background and integration in the local educational system, labour market and society at large. The analysis also includes some relevant laws regarding refugees’ and migrants’ rights and recognition of their certificates, as well as some corresponding policies and practices.

Furthermore, the chapter has a specific focus on gender, given the fact that women—especially those with a migratory background—are under-represented in the Cypriot educational system and labour market. Finally, some interesting facts regarding children and youth with a migratory background are presented, followed by some interesting suggestions about effective counselling and support.

In this chapter, we describe vocational guidance in Finland, the system and the actors. Vocational guidance in Finland is closely related to the main idea of supporting individuals in lifelong learning and continuous learning. In Finland, everybody is entitled to guidance services, whether or not they are working, studying or unemployed. Changes in the world of work, rapid technological development and an ageing population present challenges for vocational guidance in Finland. Clients’ individual and multifaceted needs place a demand on vocational guidance practitioners to re-skill and to up-skill their competencies and knowledge about changes in technology, society, the world of work and education. The reform of continuous learning, extended compulsory education and the national Strategy for Lifelong Guidance aim to improve people’s abilities to make educational and career decisions for themselves and to increase competencies that they will need in the future. Multisectoral and holistic guidance services are one solution to meet these challenges.

Industry 4.0, demographic change, integration of migrants, and shortage of skilled workers—these keywords are ubiquitous in the German media. Moreover, they are central to the guidance services offered by the Federal Employment Agency, which faces several key challenges in its special status amongst guidance actors in Germany. But what do they mean in concrete terms for career guidance in the employment agencies and job centres? The legal mandate of the Federal Employment Agency and thus of career guidance comes with the responsibility to accompany and support changes in the world of work and to offer people orientation when they enter or re-enter working life. What demands will they face, and what skills should they invest in? What are tomorrow’s opportunities, and what is necessary to seize them? Expert career guidance also plays an important role against the threatening backdrop of an increasing shortage of skilled workers. As the central career guidance organisation in Germany, the Federal Employment Agency is confronted with all these issues at different points. In this chapter, the authors give an insight into three areas of work and their focus, which are influenced by the topics just mentioned.

The aim of the chapter is to examine some of the challenges and perspectives of vocational guidance in Greece, focusing mainly on counselling for migrants and refugees, the demographic change, the ageing workforce and the jobs of the future. A knowledge of the language and the recognition of their skills are important aspects of the integration of migrants and refugees into society and the labour market. However, access to education and training is fragmented, is inconsistent and largely fails to recognise prior qualifications. Access to the labour market, although it is officially relatively simple, is prohibited by several obstacles, such as a lack of language skills, a maze-like bureaucracy, high unemployment rates and discriminatory practices. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations are usually the main providers of support, training, vocational guidance and employability services for refugees. Some successful examples of supportive measures and programmes will be presented. However, further support is needed for the refugees’ economic and social inclusion. Demographic change and the ageing population, coupled with the brain drain of the last decade, is another challenge for Greece. For the older workforce, outdated skills and perceptions, a lack of high digital literacy, employers’ negative perceptions and, most importantly, a lack of motivation and despair due to long-term unemployment during the recession are important challenges that a vocational counsellor needs to help people to overcome. Finally, the digitalisation of the Greek public sector and job market, although it has been delayed, has moved faster over the last decade and has been seriously accelerated by the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. This is a rapid but much-needed change for the Greek economy, transforming most of the traditional professions. The role of vocational guidance in Greece is critical for the integration of the skills and knowledge of refugees, which can balance out the effects of the ageing workforce, and for the bridging of the acceleration of technology with the individuals’ career goals and plans.

This chapter identifies and describes specific barriers and urgent challenges for career guidance practitioners working with migrants and refugees in Ireland. The theme of employment and its role in social integration as it emerged has been incorporated in this chapter. A range of key issues and barriers presented from a practitioner’s side when working on behalf of migrant clients is reflected in the content. The chapter also references current reports and themes specifically studying migrant’s experiences in the Irish labour market.

It is a short snapshot in time and all the reports referenced recommend that further data collection and monitoring of the situation is crucial for the Irish Government if migrants are to benefit from employment options while contributing to the society and integrating in a meaningful way.

A broad view of the term guidance is taken as it is offered in a wide variety of settings in an Irish context and embraces information provision, advocacy, guidance specific and other support services. This chapter presents some of the voluntary contexts where guidance counselling plays a crucial role in social inclusion in Ireland for all participants.

This chapter focuses on the current challenges of Lithuania’s career sector. The research highlights the systematic problems that the institutions delivering career guidance face. As a result of this study, the recommendations that could help in dealing with these challenges will be suggested. The key challenges arise from lack of developed guidelines and policies within the careers sector and recommendation aim to develop further steps that would help to achieve positive outcomes. The research of this chapter has been conducted by analysis of existent literature and news outlets. However, some areas of work such as future jobs require separate research as information about this is not widely accessible and offers limited insight. The chapter results highlights that there is an urgent need for the government to act in developing the career sector while recognising the importance of career education and integrating it centrally within the overall strategy of education.

The question of social justice also arises in various contexts for counsellors and career guidance practitioners. In general, it is fair to ask what connects this deep-rooted and ramified question to guidance. With a critical look, it becomes clear in this contribution that guidance has the potential to bring innovative ideas on how to achieve greater social justice in many areas; for example, in topics such as guidance for groups with increased guidance needs. The inner attitude of every counsellor and career guidance practitioner can be a cornerstone for achieving greater social justice. This chapter critically focuses on the role and potential of guidance in a lifelong context, especially with regard to a sense of social justice and thus ultimately social equity. With a pointed view on Luxembourg, the chapter discusses different theoretical philosophical starting points and raises the critical question of social justice.

In the last few decades, a series of changes have been perceived in our society (demographic and sociological, technological, labour market, business organisation, cultural, values…) that affect the perspective of vocational guidance and require modifications in guidance intervention. Guidance plays a very special role in these changes that characterise the current society, as it actively participates in the changes and innovations that are required by the current situation and also in the future.

In light of the current needs, guidance should be seen, from a holistic, comprehensive and critical perspective, as a process of mediation, interrelation and facilitation of different processes of transformation and/or social change throughout life (lifelong guidance) where guidance professionals are regarded as agents of change and innovation, with the need to guarantee quality and equity in guidance as added values.

This chapter identifies and describes the most notable changes in the current society that affect Career Guidance and Counselling (CGC) and require modifications in guidance intervention. In particular, it examines some of the challenges and perspectives for CGC in Spain, focusing mainly on counselling for migrants and refugees, the changing jobs of the future as well as demographic change and the ageing of the working population.

The central aim of this publication was to answer the questions: which central challenges currently exist for counsellors in Europe and which will occur in the coming years and how to master these challenges with a transnational focus. In the first part, the anthology first approached this question theoretically and thus derived the necessity and project idea of the Academia+ project. There were two main objectives for the Academia+ project which should be briefly reflected upon again: