Career Guidance and counselling programmes 2019

Career counselling and guidance practices (CGC) have a long history in the Nordic countries but the education of career counsellors have developed in very diverse ways within the Nordic communities. Most of the programs are historically firmly grounded in the career counselling and education of children and youth. With increased emphasis on life-long learning and labour interventions the need for adult guidance has increased tremendously. Seventeen higher education programs that educate career counsellors have joined hands and established a network to be able to better prepare career counsellors and guidance workers for the diverse clients they need to work with. The network has worked on two developmental projects. In development project 1- Curricular development the partners have compared programs and created curricular profiles based on the NICE model a common European framework. This work has resulted in the refinement of individual programs and exchange of practices. Development project-2 was intended to improve practical training, relations with the labour market and creation of learning communities. This is complex task relating to curricular development and cooperation with working life. An Intensive course about the use of ICT in CGC has been designed and has been implemented three times. Another intensive course focusing on social justice issues is on the drawing table. These courses are intended to strengthen the career guidance counsellors in meeting the needs of those that have difficulty in accessing guidance and are most vulnerable in the labour market. Additionally network meetings have been held. Teachers and students have done exchanges through mobility funds.